Carl F. Lichenstein

Carl Lichenstein (December 27, 1971 – December 8, 2019)

Carl Lichenstein died on December 8, 2019, just a few weeks before his 48th birthday. Carl grew up in Revere, Massachusetts, and was a loyal friend to everyone in need, including a stray dog who followed him home from school one day. He achieved early fame at age 5 by writing a letter to President Jimmy Carter in 1977. His letter, asking, “How come we have wars?” was answered by President Carter on the front page of The Boston Globe and was subsequently reprinted in newspapers nationwide.

Carl graduated from Revere High School in 1989 and attended Emerson College, where he majored in print journalism and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1993. He pursued a career in educational publishing, working at Houghton Mifflin in Boston for many years before becoming self-employed in that field. Carl loved music of all kinds, as well as beaches, mountains, and foreign films. He was known for his strong and well-informed opinions about politics. Carl lived in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston for more than 20 years. He and his wife Hillary Corbett recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. Carl and Hillary enjoyed traveling together both near and far, as well as being at home with their cats.

Besides his wife and their three cats, Carl is survived by his mother, Charlotte Buckham, of Yankeetown, Florida; his stepmother, Judith Clay Lichenstein, of Peabody, Massachusetts; and many other loving family members. He is predeceased by his father, Herb Lichenstein.

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Carl’s name to the American Civil Liberties Union.

A celebration of Carl's life will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 4:00 pm, at Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St., Jamaica Plain, MA. For more details and to RSVP, please email celebrationofcarl@gmail.com.

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