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Richard Carson Obituary
December 6, 1944 - December 10, 2022
Richard Burns Carson passed away peacefully Saturday, December 10, 2022 at age 78. Born in Berkeley on December 6, 1944, the son of the late Barbara and Dr. John F. Carson. Richard attended Berkeley High School, received a bachelor's from Harvard, and a master's in History from UC Davis. Richard was a prolific writer who wrote two highly regarded books, titled Olympian Cars, several plays, and was a lifelong learner of history. He had many friends and was a well-loved member of the communities of Berkeley, Bolinas, and Spirit Lake, Idaho. Richard was an active member of the Freemasons, the Rotary Club, and the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale. He was a competitive chili judge and motorcycle enthusiast. Richard is survived by his beloved dog, Douglass, and several cousins in California and Oregon. He was predeceased by his brother, John W. Carson. Memorial contributions may be made to any animal rescue organization or your favorite charity. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
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Memories and Condolences
for Richard Carson
Ken Snowden
May 11, 2023
Richard was a good friend who shared interests in the Ampico reproducing piano, classic cars, and 78rpm records of 1930´s dance bands. He will be missed.
Anne Sutherland Sands
March 19, 2023
I remember Richard for the times he and I delivered our Rotary Dictionaries annually to the third grades at Bolinas-Stinson School. Richard always took time to chat with each student and help them find interesting facts and stories in their new books. Richard was a classic car enthusiast and had met my father, Charles Sutherland, another car buff! Small World.
Lyman A Brewer
February 20, 2023
Ricard was a long time friend of mine. We first met in the nineteen sixties. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of classic cars, trains, and ocean liners. He lived the hobby by driving classic cars, riding on trains, riding motor cycles, and making at least one crossing (to my knowledge) in an ocean liner to South Hampton. He did not like flying. He was in favor of surface transport. He said that the journey was important and that one could not get a sence of distance by flying in an airplane. Richard was working on a book on old car interiors before he died. He was a unique person. I surely miss him. Lyman Brewer
Judith Ciani Smith, Inverness
January 18, 2023
Miss your smile and profound words of wisdom
Ben Gaver
January 15, 2023
The most unforgettable friend I have ever had in my life.
ANDREW FOX
January 15, 2023
Richard was originally a neighbor but then a dear friend for 55 years. We shared a passion for passenger trains and ocean liners. We could talk for hours on the relative merits of Santa Fe and Southern Pacific, or the Queen Mary or the Leonardo Da Vinci, both of which he sailed on and I never did. Farewell my friend.
Necah Stewart Furman, Ph.D.
January 9, 2023
Richard was a dear friend and prize-winning fellow author. He had a passion for the beautiful cars of the classic era and wrote about them in an exquisite literary style, his most recent contribution being to the Cavalcade chapter of my biography on famed classic car designer Raymond H. Dietrich. Richard will be missed greatly on the automotive scene, especially by me.
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