John Colby Carpenter Jr.

John Colby Carpenter Jr. of Apalachicola, FL (formerly of the Lower Cape) passed away on March 24, 2026, in Carrabelle, FL after a long battle with cancer. He was 74 years old.
Born in Boston in 1951, John was the son of John Colby and Jane Joyner Carpenter. He and his sister, Shelley, grew up in Wellesley and spent summers beside the ocean in Hardings Beach Hills, West Chatham, where John developed a lifelong love of the water. As a boy, he would take his skiff into town, tie-up illegally, and explore Main Street in Chatham—much to his father’s chagrin. He graduated from Tabor Academy in 1969, where he excelled in sailing, golf, and testing boundaries. Drawn to an unconventional life driven by adventure, he briefly attended college while working construction at Disney, then relocated to Northern California to learn turquoise mining and wine production before entering the fine art world. In the 1970s, he co-owned the Kiva Gallery in Boston, which featured emerging photographic artists, many of whom are now widely collected. After the gallery closed, he returned to the sea and began a career in commercial fishing, living in Orleans and later Brewster during the 1980s. John was also an avid golfer who often played at Eastward Ho with his parents and friends and competed in tournaments across New England.
John married Karen Asikainen in 1981 in West Chatham. They were married for fifteen eventful years with two children, Sean Colby (44) and Sarah Jane (38). They lived in both Cape Cod and Peaks Island, Maine. John spent 20 years as owner and operator of three different fishing vessels including the “Trident” (MA), and the “Four Sisters” (ME). He spent the later part of his fishing career dragging for scallops and urchins in Eastport Maine while raising his young daughter.
At age 50, John traded the helm of his trawler for a new chapter as a seafood dealer. Returning to the Cape in the summer of 2001 he serendipitously reconnected with Gail Burdulis of Brewster. The two started a joyful relationship that would last the rest of their lives. First, relocating to Gloucester, then ultimately trading the rocky shorelines of the Northeast for the warm waters of Florida’s Forgotten Coast. They settled in sunny Apalachicola and were married shortly after, creating a new home and life by the pool. The couple lived there happily for over 15 years, before Gail passed unexpectedly in 2021.
When ashore, John continued playing golf and watching sports ardently, while enjoying other relaxing recreational pursuits. After retiring from his commercial seafood career, spending time on the water remained a major part of his life - whether boating on the Apalach River, fishing in the bay with family or on a cruise ship with Gail, he remained under the influence of the sea throughout.
He is survived by his children; Sean Carpenter of Portland, Sarah Carpenter and Vanessa Tropeano of the Boston area, Sonja Burdulis Jones, Althea Burdulis, Genghis Burdulis all of Cape Cod and Cameron Burdulis of FL, his eight grandchildren, his sister Shelley Dawson Reynolds of Orleans, niece and nephew Emily D. Battle, Brian Colby Dawson and cousins Cindy Gall and Julie Mullen. John was preceded in death by his loving wife Gail Burdulis-Carpenter.
John Colby will be remembered by his family, friends, fishing community, golf buddies and beyond as a spirited storyteller, always willing to offer his candid perspective. He had a big heart that worked in funny ways. Those who loved him will continue sharing the tall tales and treasuring the vivid memories of his larger-than-life personality.
A celebration of John’s life will be held in East Orleans on August 1st, 2026. For details, please reach out to the family. In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory may be made to help marine conservation at donate.oceanconservancy.org, a cause close to his heart, or to the Hospice Agency of your choice.