Carl Leo STETSON Jr.

STETSON, Jr., Carl Leo
Carl 'Leo' Stetson passed away at home in his sleep on Monday, February 8, 2011. He was born in Delevan, CA (Colusa Co.) on December 16, 1918. He was the fourth child of Carl Leo Stetson, Sr. and Loretta Elizabeth (Martinelli) Stetson and brother to Benjamin, Edward 'Bud', Frank, Tom and Elizabeth 'Barbara Jean'. Inducted into the U.S. Army in


January 1942, he served in New Guinea, Leyte Invasion (1944); Mindoro, Mindanao Invasion (1945) and occupation duty in Kure, Japan (1945). All five Stetson brothers served during WWII and all came home safely.

He grew up in Sacramento, CA and graduated from Sierra Grammar School, Sacramento High School (1936), Sacramento City College (1938), and University of California at Berkeley (1940) with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. In 1940, he began his career with the U.S.G.S. surveying (some on horseback) and making topographical maps of Nevada, Washington, and California. That year he also met Marguerite Elizabeth Coupe (Nicolaus, CA) on a blind date and married his first love on August 2, 1941. They settled in Sacramento and started their family, but moved to Davis in 1951, where they were active in the St. James Catholic Church and developed many, long lasting friendships there and the Sacramento area.

Employed by the State of California in 1946, he worked primarily for the Department of Water Resources (DWR). In 1961, he was appointed Chief of the San Joaquin District and moved to Fresno to establish the first DWR office in the San Joaquin Valley, from Stockton to Bakersfield, plus the Central Coast. He was responsible for planning of all water resources development and administering contracts for water sales from the California Aqueduct (State Water Project).

After retiring in 1981, Marguerite and Carl 'Leo' traveled throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Panama. When Marguerite passed away in 1986, after 45 years of marriage, he started college to broaden his knowledge and traveled extensively throughout Europe, Greece, Israel, and Egypt. In 1997, he traveled to Switzerland to research family history of his maternal grandfather, Anton Martinelli, and located his mother's first cousin and his second cousin in Maggia, Ticino. In 2001, on his second blind date, he met Rusty Odland and spent many happy hours with her enjoying friends, her children, parties, late night dinners, plays, symphonies, and lectures. He volunteered at C.S.U., Fresno, recording textbooks for visually impaired college students and St. Anthony's Catholic Church Library. He was a Board Member of the Friends of Madden Library, C.S.U. Fresno for many years and a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (Cal. Reg. Civil Engineer No 6817). He was active and alert until his death, going out with Rusty, watching football and completing crossword and Mensa Sudoku puzzles.

Carl 'Leo' is survived by his loving partner, Rusty Odland; sister, Barbara Campbell and her husband Jim of Dixon/Davis; his brother, Tom Stetson of San Juan Capistrano; and numerous nieces and nephews; his children, Daniel Leo of Fresno, Thomas Edward of Susanville and Luree Jeanne of Sacramento; six grandchildren, Robert Stetson and his wife Kim, Scott Stetson and his wife Jill, Matthew Stetson and his partner Hnub, Tod Stetson and his wife Holly, Carrie Cook and her husband Ken, Hannah Poot and her husband Billie; and three great-grandchildren: Aaron James 'AJ' Stetson (12), Gavin Stetson (4), and Allisen Poot (2 months).

Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home in Fresno on Sunday, February 13, 2011 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. followed by Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 4:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Fresno on Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Interment to follow at St. Peter's Cemetery in Fresno.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Friends of the Madden Library, 5200 N. Barton Ave. N/S ML 34, Fresno, CA 93740.

Condolences may be offered by visiting www.whitehurstsullivan.com.