William Carlson

William "Bill" Carlson, 75, beloved husband and best friend of Diane (née Mierkiewicz) for 49 loving years; loving father of Mike (Kelli), Kevin (Raeanne), and Tim; cherished Papa of Zach, Natalie, and Carter; devoted son of the late Robert and Grace Carlson; treasured brother of Bob (Kay), Craig (Debbie), and Christopher Carlson; dear brother-in-law of Joey Mierkiewicz (Kyla); and fond uncle of Lynnie and Brian Mierkiewicz and Grace Carlson.

Bill was born on July 1, 1950, in Highland Park, Illinois, and grew up in Deerfield, where he graduated from Deerfield High School in 1968. He attended Northern Illinois University, where he played volleyball and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972. Bill followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a general contractor and Master Carpenter. He began working alongside his dad at a young age, and together they built RCE Carlson Company, which served the community for more than fifty years.

In 1975, Bill made his home in Libertyville, where he met his wife, Diane, in 1977. Together, they raised their family there for nearly 50 years, and the town became very special to him. Bill devoted countless hours to the Libertyville community. He coached his sons' sports teams and served as equipment director for the Libertyville Boys Club. For 25 years, he faithfully kept score for the Libertyville High School wrestling team. In addition, Bill volunteered his time in many other roles, including serving as one of the first board members of MainStreet Libertyville.

Bill was a passionate craftsman and Master Carpenter. He built everything from toys for his children and grandchildren to fine furniture and entire homes. He devoted countless hours to restoring his 131-year-old Victorian house, lovingly making it cozy and welcoming while preserving its unique character and history.

An avid outdoorsman, Bill loved camping, hiking, and fishing. He shared this passion through countless camping trips with his family and especially cherished the annual fishing trips to the family cabin in Sioux Narrows, Ontario, Canada. Bill built the cabin alongside his family and served as its devoted caretaker for more than 30 years.

As Quartermaster for his sons' Boy Scout troop for a decade, Bill passed on his deep love and knowledge of the outdoors not only to his sons, but to many young men eager to explore nature. He taught them year-round, through warm summer days and even the cold, unforgiving Chicago winters, how to respect the wilderness and survive under the most challenging conditions. While he had many interests, Bill most enjoyed spending time with his family.

Bill deeply cherished being a grandfather. Known lovingly as "Papa" to his grandchildren, he embraced every moment with them, from babysitting them as infants to gladly caring for them when they were home sick from school. He rarely missed a sporting event, proudly cheering them on from the crowd and celebrating each accomplishment alongside them. Being "Papa" brought Bill immense joy, and the love he shared with his grandchildren was unwavering.

Bill will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Visitation will be held Saturday, January 31, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at Noon, at Burnett-Dane Funeral Home, 120 W. Park Ave. (Route 176, one block west of Milwaukee Ave.), Libertyville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. For information, please call (847) 362-3009 or share a memory or condolence at www.burnettdane.com.