George Carlson

Like his wife four months earlier to the day, George Russell Carlson, Jr. left us peacefully in his sleep on Monday, August 21, 2023 from complications related to stroke. Luckily, George never really understood that his wife of 55 years, Barbara, was gone, but not surprisingly, was quick to follow her. We take comfort in knowing that they are reunited, falling asleep next to each other, holding hands as they did each night since they were married.

George was born to George Russell Carlson Sr. and Mary Evelyn Goddard in Detroit Michigan on July 5, 1942. He is survived by his younger brother, Harry Carlson. He graduated from Seaholm High School in its first year after its split and name change from Birmingham High School. He was a member of the swim team both in high school and at Oakland Hills Golf Club. He attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Embry Riddle Flight School in Daytona Beach, Florida. He put both his business degree and flying skills to good use when he joined the family business, Acme Manufacturing. As recently as this year, George often reminisced about flying the Acme Bonanza – even remembering the plane’s tail number. After Acme, George ran Michigan Controls Company, a sheet metal electrical enclosure business until his retirement.

Through his cousin, Robert Ogur and his wife, Ann, Barb’s best friend, he was set up on a blind date with his future wife, Barbara Druhot. While George didn’t win her over on that first date, Barb decided he was worth a second date (and another free dinner) from which they started dating regularly. They decided to get married after buying an aquarium together, not wanting to determine who would get custody of the fish should they ever split up. They were married at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Birmingham, Michigan on August 3, 1968.

George and Barb had three daughters – Amanda (Carlson) Blumenstein in October 1969, Marcia (Carlson) Johnson in July 1971 and Barbara Carlson in May 1974. George and Barb were incredible, involved and devoted parents to their three girls, supporting them in all the ways throughout their younger and adult lives. George lost his mother when she was just 42. Worried that he too wouldn’t live a long life, George dedicated himself to his family – always on the sidelines of soccer, field hockey and lacrosse games, a master horse groomer and poop shoveler at the girls’ horse shows and all around cheerleader in all that they did.

When the girls were young, George and Barb enjoyed traveling each spring with friends and family to their condo in St Thomas, USVI. Their wanderlust grew after retirement when George and Barb took to the highway as fulltime RVers. Their adventures took them from coast to coast, from east coast fall foliage tours to hot air balloon rallies in the southwest. They would stop along the way to visit their grandkids, Cody Lewis (27), Oliver Blumenstein (23), Stella Blumenstein (21) and Hannah Johnson (19) – often scooping them up to be part of their RV adventures during the summers.

When it was time to wrap up their RV adventures, George and Barb settled in Ludington, Michigan where they ran an RV park close to Lake Michigan. After a few years as RV hosts, they relocated to Boise, Idaho where Amanda and Barbara live. There, they were regularly groupies of Amanda’s husband Michael’s band Bread & Circus, often seen on the dance floor until all hours of the night. While they slowed down over the past few years, their love for their girls and their grandkids never waned. George’s smile was never bigger than when they were visiting him – especially when they brought him his favorite – KFC.

Some of our favorite memories are of George just being George.
• A typical call with George and his daughters went like this:
A/M/B – Hi daddy! Can I ask you a question?
Dad – The answer is yes – what’s your question?
• He popped giant bowls of popcorn for movie nights with the girls and all of their friends.
• He hung a smiley face flag on the pole inviting anyone who saw it in the neighborhood over for open swim.
• He offered his home for all kinds of neighborhood functions – most notably the annual Halloween party, complete with costume judging, steamed hotdogs and apple cider.
• When the family was too busy for a home cooked meal, he’d make a “Colonel McWendy’s” run where he would stop anywhere that anyone wanted for the perfect burger and fries combination.
• He waited in line for concert tickets for his girls when the on sale date conflicted with school. Remember when you had to wait in line for concert tickets?
• He made the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, French toast and eggs sunnyside up.
• No matter where they were in the world, George was always available with one of his famous “telephone hugs”.
• Mechanically inclined, he could fix anything and often played handyman when visiting, ticking off the to do list at every visit.
• It was great that he was handy because he also often broke things when Curious George just couldn’t leave well enough alone.
• Always ready with a dad joke or a pun, we’ll always remember one of his favorites: “You know George and Barbara Bush; well, we’re George and Barbara in the bushes”.

George and Barb opened their home to anyone or anything and lent a helping hand to anyone in need – whether helping a stranger on the side of the road with a flat or jump start or offering a friend a hand, an ear or a shoulder, always with no judgement, only love. He was the most generous, forgiving and supportive person we’ve known – never really getting angry, giving everything he had to his girls and seeing everything as a moment to learn, a moment to teach, a moment to connect, a moment to understand.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation in his name to the American Heart Association. And most importantly, in his honor, slow down and take too long to do something – stop and talk to a stranger, learn something new, tinker too long, break something and fix it better than it was, go see some live music, spend time with family and friends, eat a long nice meal, get the dessert – do it all with intention, commitment, passion and love.