Concord, NH – Carl L. Sargent, III, age 87, passed away peacefully in southern NH on July 15, 2026.
Carl was rooted in Concord and the state. He earned undergraduate and masters degrees in Horticultural Studies from UNH, laying the foundation for a distinguished career in landscape design.
For more than 65 years, Carl shaped landscapes and gardens across New England for countless private residences, estates and commercial properties. He took immense pride in his 30-year association with St. Paul’s School, as well as his work for landmark institutions including Phillips Exeter Academy, Daniel Webster College, and the New Hampshire Anheuser-Busch Brewery.
An avid hiker with a lifelong love for the White Mountains, he built a cabin by hand in Thornton, NH. It became a cherished sanctuary he shared with other mountain lovers. He enjoyed traveling – scouting gardens, attending professional conferences, and visiting family and friends. He held a lifelong affection for Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he spent summers with grandparents and extended family.
A “Yankee” by temperament and always eager to defend a good cause, he was a leading voice opposing a recent, very costly middle school project in Concord. Never intimidated by elected officials or City Hall, he often remarked with a grin, “I’m going to chew them up one side and down the other.”
He left a wide circle of friends, colleagues, and long-term clients. Always generous with his time and expertise, “he delighted in sharing unique and rare plants”.
Carl was predeceased by his only sister, Emily, and is survived by her three children.
To honor his legacy, memorial donations may be made to organizations close to his heart. (There will be no formal service). Society for the Protection of NH Forests: forestsociety.org, Appalachian Mountain Club: outdoors.org, Concord Area Paratransit Service: concordareatransit.com/ada-paratransit
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