Carl Richard Friend

Carl Richard Friend, 65, of Boylston, formerly of North Attleboro, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2026, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, on January 10, 1961, Carl was the loving son of the late Richard D. Friend. He grew up in North Attleboro, graduated from North Attleboro High School, and later studied information technology at ITT Technical Institute. His fascination with computers began in 1973 when his school acquired a Data General Nova 840, igniting a lifelong passion that shaped his career. Over the decades, Carl assembled an impressive collection of medium-sized computer systems from the 1960s through the 1980s, including PDP, Digital Mini VAX, and Nova 480 models. His collection grew so extensive that it found a permanent home in a museum in Providence, Rhode Island.

Beyond technology, Carl found great joy in sailing. He spent many cherished days aboard 35-foot Beneteau sailboats out of Boston Harbor, embarking on week-long cruises to Provincetown, Marion, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. He particularly loved planning these voyages and skillfully navigating the challenging passage through Woods Hole.

He is survived by his aunts, Judith Friend of North Attleboro and Elizabeth Friend and her husband James Coogan of Sandwich, as well as dear friends Dan Burns of Boston and Samad Barzegar and his wife Gail of Plainville. He was the grandson of the late Dr. Dale Friend and Harriet Friend.