Thomas Neil Carlson

Thomas Neil Carlson, 93, of Janesville, passed away Friday, February 27, 2026, in Zeeland, Michigan.

Tom was born at home in Janesville on April 25, 1932, the son of the late Harold Raymond and Martha Ellen (Erickson) Carlson. He quite literally grew up at Fairview Plant Farm on Milwaukee Street, where the steady rhythms of greenhouse work, school, and church meetings shaped his early years. At age seven, Tom became Fairview’s best tomato salesman. As he grew, so did his responsibilities - painting plant labels, blending potting soils, transplanting, potting, watering, and even stoking the boiler on cold winter nights. Fresh out of business school, he married Marjorie Lundgren and began his family in the very house where he was born, right there at Fairview.

Tom became a partner in the family business with his father, Harold, and older brother, Russell. Focusing on the retail side, Tom brought energy, innovation, and growth. He pioneered the concept of a self-service garden center featuring informational plant displays, disposable growing containers for vegetables, and shopping carts - ideas that were forward-thinking for their time.

Tom and his father regularly had breakfast at the Knotty Pine, often joined by other businessmen and civic leaders. After Tom requested permission to combine tables in a side room, an informal breakfast club of up to 40 members formed and lasted for decades.

To help customers with spring planting, Tom began sponsoring the weather report on WCLO, adding soil temperatures to the broadcast. What began as a seasonal feature evolved into a popular year-round lawn and garden radio program. Eventually, he installed a direct-line microphone in his Fairview office and even called in to his program while traveling overseas. Years later, Tom was invited to serve on the Scotts dealer advisory board, where he contributed to the development of the Scotts 4-Step Program.

When Fairview’s wholesale greenhouse operation moved to Deerfield, Tom developed the Fairview Mall and Mart. The retail floral business remained in Janesville and expanded into gifts under the name Flowers by Fairview. The garden center broadened to include landscaping services, nursery stock, and patio furniture, continuing his pattern of innovation and growth.

Always community-minded, Tom served in many offices in the Janesville Lions Club and chaired the effort that brought the President’s Marine Corps Band to Janesville for annual concerts. Tom’s Blueberries began over 25 years ago when he gave away extra boxes of freshly picked berries after visiting Noel’s family in Michigan. Word spread, and orders grew every year until he needed to rent a truck to bring back hundreds of pounds of fresh Michigan blueberries.

Tom joined the Janesville Toastmasters Club to hone his public speaking skills and remained active in several clubs for more than 45 years, serving in numerous leadership roles and becoming a semifinalist in Toastmasters’ International Speech Competition.

His public speaking led to service on the board of directors of President Eisenhower’s People to People International. For more than two decades during the Cold War, Tom led florist delegations to China, Russia, and several other countries behind the Iron Curtain. He was proud that, as a humble florist from Janesville, he traveled to more than 30 countries and nearly all the United States. Tom was a charter member of Janesville Presents and served as master of ceremonies for concerts.

Through all of life’s ups and downs, Tom maintained a strong and steady faith in Jesus Christ. He deeply respected his four uncles who served in a nondenominational, itinerant ministry in Scandinavia and the Midwest. His parents hosted regular Sunday morning fellowship meetings in their home, and later Tom continued that tradition. During his travels, he especially treasured times of fellowship in homes with friends and ministers around the world.

Tom is survived by his wife of 35 years, Linda (Teich) Carlson; her daughters, Laura (Brian) Manola, Allison Schultz, and Julie (Terry) Paice; and five step-grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Nancy (Robert) Restivo and Judy Alt.

He is also survived by his first wife, Marjorie (Lundgren) Carlson; their sons, Noel (Kathleen Griswold) Carlson of Holland, Michigan, and Jeff (Karen Conners) Carlson of Anaheim Hills, California; five grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his siblings: Lloyd Russell Carlson, Harold Raymond Carlson Jr., Evelyn Mae Carlson, and David Noel Carlson.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., and a luncheon will be provided following the service.

Henke-Clarson Funeral Home & Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.henkeclarson.com.