David M. "Dave" Carlson M.D.

7/14/1986 - 10/5/2025

Pawcatuck - David M. Carlson, M.D., age 39, of Pawcatuck, passed away Oct. 5, 2025 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. He was at home, surrounded by his loving family and friends.

Dave was born July 14, 1986, to Lars and Dawn Carlson in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Dave spent part of his childhood in Canada before settling in San Diego, where he spent his teenage and young adult years. After graduating from college, Dave volunteered for the Obama campaign in 2008, and was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, a significant point of pride for him. His experience with the grassroots campaign inspired him to pursue a career focused on helping others, ultimately leading him to enroll at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

In 2016, during medical school, Dave was diagnosed with brain cancer. Despite undergoing two craniotomies, radiation, and chemotherapy, he refused to let his diagnosis derail his ambitions. Instead, Dave returned to medical school with renewed determination and graduated in 2019. He was inducted into UCSD's Gold Humanism Honor Society in recognition of his dedication to improving community-based care for veterans. He completed both his residency and fellowship in psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry at the UCLA/VA Greater Los Angeles.

While hospitalized, before his first of two brain surgeries, Dave met his future wife Katie, the nurse who was caring for him. The two married in August 2022 at a vineyard in Temecula, Calif., and welcomed their son, Nicolas, in September of 2023. Nicolas was the light of Dave's life, and it was clear from their loving interactions that this feeling was mutual. In 2024, Dave and his family moved to Connecticut for Dave to begin working as a geriatric psychiatrist at Yale-Westerly Hospital, fulfilling his dream of helping people in need.

A true savant, Dave loved trivia, often single-handedly dominating trivia nights. He even earned his way into the Jeopardy! contestant pool in 2023, which was a longtime goal of his. He also authored many thoughtful articles and essays about boxing, applying the sport's lessons of perseverance, resilience and courage to life's broader challenges. His entrepreneurial spirit shone through when he founded PreMedHQ MCAT, an innovative online medical school prep program that continues to help thousands of students around the world. He was a talented artist and president of his high school art club, where he made many lifelong friends. He loved music, played guitar, and enjoyed attending many concerts.

Dave had a passion for helping people and spreading kindness wherever he went. He possessed an incredible affinity for mankind and a seemingly magical ability to connect with anyone he encountered in a way that was personal and approachable. He was equipped with an amazing capacity for empathy and could remember even the smallest of details from conversations he had with people many years prior, surprising everyone with his impressive recall. His warmth, intelligence, curiosity, and love of people will be remembered and missed by everyone who knew him.

Dave is survived by his beloved wife Katie Roy and their son Nicolas, of Pawcatuck. He is also survived by his parents, Lars and Dawn Carlson, of Escondido, Calif.; his sister Vanessa M. and brother-in-law Shaun, of Escondido, Calif.; and his brother Robert and sister-in-law Vanessa K. and nephew Turner, of Santee, Calif. Dave is also lovingly survived by his in-laws, James and Geraldine Roy, of Stonington.

To honor Dave's values of compassion and learning, and in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made via secure payment at https://tinyurl.com/3zzjh9jn by entering "Dr Nicholas Blondin's Research Account" in the "Other" section of the site, or via mail to Yale Cancer Center, P.O. Box 7611, New Haven, CT, 06519-0611.

A celebration of David's beautiful life will take place in July 2026, with full details to follow.

To The Doctor

A son of the West coast

A new day had you New Haven-bound

It's another journey now

It's the end of the fight

A bulldog's spirit

A philosopher's mind

Life can be so unkind

But you'd never let us feel that was true, anyway

It's another journey now

It's the end of the fight

Do you hear the bell?

Not here, not of this plane

Past where the headwinds blow

To take you safely home

-Mark Wilkens, San Diego, Calif., October 2025