Father John F. Carson

Father John F. Carson, parochial vicar at St. Ann’s parish in Yonkers, died on Aug. 3 in the parish rectory. He was 74.

Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Sullivan, vicar general, offered the Funeral Mass Aug. 6 at St. Ann’s Church. Father Hugh R. Grace, pastor of St. Boniface parish in Wesley Hills, delivered the homily.

Father Andrew Carrozza, pastor of St. Ann’s, Yonkers, celebrated the Mass of the Holy Eucharist Aug. 5 at St. Ann’s. Father Edward Byrne, pastor of St. Ann’s, Ossining, delivered the homily.

“He was a good friend,” said Father Grace, who was a classmate of Father Carson’s at Blessed Sacrament High School in New Rochelle. “As a priest you couldn’t find a more dedicated one. His parish, the kids and his family were all vital to him. In fact, I was talking to someone in his family who described him as the mortar for the entire family. He was just a concerned guy.”

Father Carson served at St. Ann’s from 1995 until his death. He also served as parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi, Mount Kisco, 1993-1995; St. Denis-St. Columba, Hopewell Junction, 1988-1993; St. Peter’s, Staten Island, 1968-1987; St. Ann’s, the Bronx, 1965-1968; St. Margaret’s, Pearl River, 1964-1965; and St. Aloysius, Livingston Manor, summer 1964. He was administrator of Notre Dame, Manhattan, 1987-1988.

Born in New Rochelle, he was ordained in 1964 following studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie. He held a bachelor’s degree from Iona College in New Rochelle. Two sisters, Eleanor Carson and Dorothy-Jean Davidian, survive him.

Burial was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in New Rochelle.