Meriel R. "Scottie” Carriker, age 100, of Wayland, MA, died peacefully on Saturday, December 16, 2017, surrounded by loving family.
Scottie was born as Meriel Roosevelt McAllister in Hot Springs, Virginia to Joseph Thompson McAllister, Sr. and Marjorie Roosevelt Leaycraft. She received her BS in education from Longwood University in Farmville, VA, double majoring in French and mathematics, and she received a masters degree in French and Spanish at Middlebury College, in Vermont.
In 1943, Scottie married Melbourne (“Mel”) Carriker, a marine biologist. In the midst of parenting their four sons as Mel’s career took them from New Jersey to North Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts and Delaware, Scottie embraced her language skills as a junior high and high school French and Spanish teacher. She was also active in amateur theatre, as an alto in church choir, and in pursuing her insatiable intellectual curiosity by studying topics such as graphoanalysis and reiki healing.
Following Mel’s death in 2007, Scottie moved to Linden Ponds, an independent living facility in Hingham, MA, continuing to pursue her interests in theatre, choral music, and languages. Since 2016, she made her home, and many friends, at Sunrise of Wayland, an assisted living facility.
Scottie is survived by three sons: Eric Carriker & wife Lynn of Natick, Mass; Neal Carriker & wife Maureen of Gloucester, Mass; and Robert Carriker of Hudson, Mass; 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Memorial Services will be held at Sunrise of Wayland, 208 Commonwealth Road, Wayland, MA, at 3:00 P.M., on Saturday, December 23, 2017, with Rev. Deborah Spratley and Scottie’s grandson, Rev. Matthew Carriker officiating.
Interment will be private.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Smiletrain.org