Mark W. Coulter

Mark W. Coulter, Retired Sergeant of the Ayer Police Department, and previous member of the Billerica, Dunstable, and Littleton Police Departments, passed away at home surrounded by family on Thursday, December 19, 2024.

Son of the late Olga Costigan Coulter and William A. Coulter, Mark is survived by his wife Catherine Coulter of Fitchburg, children Isabella Coulter of Fitchburg, Liam Coulter of Fitchburg, Ryan Coulter of Sterling, and Brandon Coulter and his wife Amanda of Pelham, and grandson Aiden Coulter of Pelham, NH. Also surviving Mr. Coulter are his siblings, Catherine Sullivan and Mary Hamblett of Ayer and Jeannie Georgianna and her husband John of Littleton, and many nieces and nephews. Mr. Coulter was predeceased by his twin brother and best friend, Michael Coulter, in 2022, and his sister Janice Charlton Foss in 2009.

Mr. Coulter was a retired police sergeant of the Ayer Police Department, retiring in 2004 after sixteen years of service including assignments as detective, certified arson investigator, school liaison officer, medical officer, court prosecutor, and coordinator of the reserve police program. Prior to working in Ayer, Sgt. Coulter was employed full time by the Town of Billerica Police Department from 1978-1988 as an EMT/Paramedic and Reserve Police Officer. In addition, he was a reserve Police Officer for the Town of Dunstable in 1986/1987 and began his law enforcement career as an Auxiliary Police Officer in the Town of Littleton in 1973. Sgt. Coulter was also the part time EMS Coordinator at the Deaconness Nashoba Hospital in Ayer for five years, designing the first automated cardiac defibrillation program for EMTs within Nashoba Valley that he modeled after the first program in Seattle, Washington. Sgt. Coulter was an Instructor at the Boylston Police Academy for five years. In addition, he was the Director of the Mass Youth Police Academy from 1998 – 2004. In his younger years, Sgt. Coulter was an EMT/Paramedic for various ambulance services in Massachusetts and NH. 

During his law enforcement career, Sgt. Coulter received three lifesaving awards and numerous letters of commendation for his investigative work.

Sgt. Coulter was a member of the Town of Ayer Personnel Board in 2015. He also coached T-ball, Little League Baseball, and was an assistant basketball coach for the Town of Ayer Recreation Department from 2013 – 2015. 

Sgt. Coulter was a member of the Mass Police Association and a lifetime member of the Boy Scouts of America having received an award for his volunteer work with the Boy Scout Program.

Sgt. Coulter drove school bus for the Dee Bus Service for several years as well as the city buses in Leominster and Fitchburg for Mart until illness forced his retirement in 2019. 

Sgt. Coulter enjoyed playing piano and was a master at practical jokes. He especially looked forward to the “paybacks”. He had an exceptional sense of humor and enjoyed making people laugh. 

Sgt. Coulter raced stock cars with his best friend and mirror twin, Michael Coulter. Both throughout their lives had careers as EMTs as well as Police Officers. As they reached the milestone of seventy years old, they both agreed it still wasn’t enough time together. The bond of twins is straight and true, especially mirror twins – there was never the letter “I”, only the word “We”. They both enjoyed their trips to the casino, pizza, cheeseburgers, devil dogs and jelly beans. They were both animal lovers.

Their motto – “As long as you can savor the humorous aspect of misery and misfortune….you can overcome anything” – John Candy

Visiting hours for Mark will be held in the McGaffigan Family Funeral Home, 37 Main St. (Rte. 113) Pepperell, MA on Friday, December 27th from 4 – 7 pm. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Burial in Westlawn Cemetery in Littleton will occur at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a local animal shelter of your choice.