Bill Carlson

1945 - 2025

Bill Carlson

May 7, 1945 - April 24, 2025

Morro Bay, California - Lifelong educator, devoted husband, father, stepfather, brother, uncle and friend to many, Bill Carlson of Morro Bay passed away just shy of his 80th birthday, due to injuries sustained in an auto accident.

William Alvin Carlson was born in New York City on May 7, 1945 - the eve of V-E Day, marking the end of World War II. Bill's mother, Janet Carlson, loved to tell the story of being in labor while everyone was dancing in the streets of Manhattan below. Bill's siblings are brothers Dayle, Jr. and Peter Carlson, and sister Susan Jacobson.

Bill's father, Dayle Carlson, was a career U.S. Coast Guard Chief, so Bill grew up in many locales, but Hawaii was his favorite place as a kid.

Bill graduated as an historian from UC Berkeley in 1967, during turbulent political times, sparking his activism for social justice. He chose to be an educator for the next 36 years. His positions included high school teaching in Cutler-Orosi Continuation, King Jr. High School Gifted Magnet in Los Angeles Unified, and Tulare Joint Union High School District, where he was principal of Valley Continuation High School and then assistant principal for student counseling at Tulare Western High School. He retired in 2004.

Bill's pride and joy, Karin Carlson, was born in 1971 from his first marriage to Ann Getz. Karin adored her dad and admired so many of his qualities, particularly his goodness, dry humor, and unwavering devotion to his students, friends, and family.

At Vacation Village in San Diego, at an educator's conference in 1979, Bill met Judith Narke Kelly. They talked until the entire conference luncheon room was empty, and the staff asked when they might be leaving. Definitely "love at first sight." Judith has two children; Marcus and Marcella Kelly. Bill married Judith in 1980; they blended families and moved out of Los Angeles to the Central Valley, where they lived for the next 20 years, escaping to the Central Coast every chance they could.

Traveling became a passion for Bill and Judith, so their first adventure was taking this blended family of five on a six-week vacation to Europe, visiting five countries. That lesson taught them to wait until the kids were on their own so they could travel just the two of them, and they did. Marcus married Fara Aguel and moved to the Trinity Alps above Garberville. Marcella married Tom McNamara and moved to Virginia where she is a professor at Virginia Tech in Wildlife Biology and is a renowned expert in the field of big cats. Karin moved to San Francisco, married P.J. Johnston, and became a successful business owner and one of the city's most respected public affairs experts.

Bill and Judith moved to Morro Bay permanently in 2004. The town was welcoming, friends were accepting, and a life of new activities began. Bill was a voracious reader, so having a men's group discussion provided monthly opportunities for fellowship and the sharing of ideas about political and social justice in our society.

Dining monthly with a group of educators brought comradery, and varied dishes to discover. Nothing fired him up like music and sports - "Go Giants!" - a devotion he shared with his brother Dayle and son-in-law P.J. A TV buff as well, Bill delighted in shows with an absurdist bent, from Monty Python to Seinfeld.

Bill and "Malcolm," his dog of 14 years, traveled daily to the dog beach to meet Malcolm's girlfriend, "Molly." Bill took great pleasure in the two dogs chest-bumping and running into the ocean. Bill's two cats, Coco and Tabby, and their cat antics were a source of endless laughter. For the past 14 years Bill looked forward to New Year's Day, when he and Judith welcomed relatives, friends and neighbors to their annual Open House.

Bill was a Catholic. He received Last Rites from a priest he admired and respected, Father Ed Holterhoff of St. Timothy's Church in Morro Bay. Bill was a humanist, who, in the words of Pope Francis, believed we should all "embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important." Bill lived this creed his entire life.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Janet and Dayle Carlson; niece, Jill Kline; mother-in-law, Winnie Bluestein; and brothers-in-law, John Narke and Richard Ritter.

He is survived by his wife, Judith Carlson; daughter, Karin Carlson Johnston (spouse P.J.); stepdaughter, Marcella Kelly (Tom McNamara); stepson, Marcus Kelly (Fara); brothers, Dayle Carlson (Robin Roffey) and Peter Carlson (Monica); sister, Susan Jacobson; brother-in-law James Narke (Linda); sisters-in-law, Susan Ritter and Jane Narke; grandchildren, Madeleine, Rosie, and William Johnston, Kyra and Ariel Kelly; great-grandchildren, Antheia, Ariel, Arianna, Alaina, Atticus, Amaiya and Atreus Kelly, Aaliyah and Austin Vang; his extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews; and his best friends, Howard Berger and Willis ("Bud") Hudson.

A celebration of Bill Carlson's life will be held on June 21 at 3 p.m. at the Morro Bay High School Theater. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Morro Bay Friends of the Library, mbfol.org.