Maurice W. Carlson

Maurice W. CARLSON Maurice W. Carlson (Maury to friends and family) can be described in many ways as he brought something special to every relationship he had. He was loyal, earnest, full of humor and active throughout his long life. Born on February 16, 1915 in a small, rented house on Beacon Hill in Seattle where his parents Ima and Gustave lived he wasthe first generation of the Carlson family to be born in the United States after his parents emigrated from Sweden. Steadfast in his studies, Maury was an honor student and was advanced two grades by high school. He graduated high school at 16 and took post graduate coursework until he found a full time job. Always physically active- whether that amounted to playing marbles or roller skating as a young boy or bicycling, walking or swimming as he grew older or dancing and playing pickle-ball in his later years- there were few times you would find him idle. He was the picture of health, only missing two days of high school to illness; walking back and forth to school each day; and skating or bicycling to Green Lake where he would swim across the lake and back before returning home. At the age of 13 he developed a passion for cars. His father had his own delivery truck and, on Saturdays, Maury would join him to deliver bakery supplies. For his help he was allowed to drive and given one dollar for the day- the value of which he would always remember. By 14 and a half, he had his first driver's license. At 16 he bought his first car, a 1923 Ford Model T touring car, which he purchased from a friend. His next car was a 1925 Model T Ford Coupe with a rumble seat. He kept buying, tuning and selling cars throughout the years, selling for a profit each time. After high school, while taking night classes in Secretarial School, he met his future wife- Vera Mulinix, who had moved to Seattle from Nebraska after her graduation in 1933. Vera's cousin was a friend to Maury's cousin and they were introduced. On Saturday nights, they would all go dancing. After a five year courtship, during which Maury finished his schooling, took his City of Seattle examination, and began work in the Seattle Police Department and while Vera studied music, they were married April 9, 1938. They were married for 63 years separated only by Vera's death in 2003. They had three children- a daughter Carol in 1939 and two sons Allen and Steven in 1943 and 1947 respectively. They purchased their first home (on 89th Street in Seattle) before moving to their second home- a three bedroom, brick Roman house at 529 N. 90th the family home for the remainder of Maury and Vera's lives. That same year, the city first paved the streets and sidewalks. Their daughter Carol was a Registered Nurse after graduating from the University of Washington School of Medicine and later, after earning a Master's degree in Counseling from Seattle University, a counselor working with workers injured on the job as well as with veterans and victims of domestic violence. Carol had one son, Jeffrey Williams, Maury's first grandchild now working at Microsoft, and Jeff gave them their first great-grandchild, Alexander in 2003. Carol was busy and active in medical services all her life until she passed away with cancer at age 65 in 2004. Their oldest son, Allen, after high school, joined the Army for three years and, when released, went to the University of Washington, passed his C.P.A. exam before graduating Magna Cum Laude with top honors in Business Administration. In business before moving to California, where he started his own business and met, and was married, to wife Sandra. With Sandra, Allen had two children- Scott, now a professional glassblower in Ashland, Oregon; and Stacy who gave them their first great-granddaughter, Brooke. Steven, an avid reader, married Ann Summerville and gave Vera and Maury their fourth grandchild, Heather, who shared Maury's birthday of February the 16th. Steve and Ann reside in Seattle, and provided an exceptional level of care for Maury in his later years. Maury's work in the Seattle Police Department spanned twenty five years before his retirement in 1963 after which he went to work in the Police Pension office where he worked another 16 and a half years until full retirement at 65. All through this time Vera and Maury raised their family; remained active with the Olympic View Community Church where they had been members since the 1940's and where Vera played piano. A memorial service will be held at the Olympic View Community Church of the Brethren in Seattle at 11:00am on Saturday, April 9th with a luncheon to follow.