William "Bill" Charles Carlson was born September 23rd, 1950, in Portland Oregon. He attended Cleveland High School.
Passionate about music from an early age, he took great joy in managing the Springers Ballroom for performances from some of his favorite bands, including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jacob's Ladder, and the Byrds.
Bill later worked as an electronics technician and salesman for the Coen Brothers. His acumen for working with fine electronics expanded into a career in the expanding computer technology field. Later in his life, he spent several years as a bus driver for North Clackamas School District. During this time he treasured the drawings that students presented him with.
A lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, Bill always loved the water. Surfing, swimming, and rafting brought him peace and happiiness. He settled in Milwaukie in the mid-80's and raised three children with his wife Patricia. He continued to live in Milwaukie until the time of his death, enjoying walks in the park, curating an impressive music and video collection, and making friends at the River Road House.
He passed peacefully in his sleep on April 3rd. He is survived by three children; Nicholas, Bridget, and Matthew; and his brother Richard. He was preceded by his mother Lauretta, father Richard, and brother Gary.
The family will privately scatter his ashes in some of his favorite places.
Contributions may be made to http://ethos.org/ in Bill's memory. Ethos brings music education to children across Oregon.
My dad, as many of you may know, had a special way of thinking. I remember on the eve of my cousin's wedding during a discussion about proper wedding etiquette, he decided to dispense some wisdom about funerals.
He told me that you may have someone who you think you know really well, but only after they die do you start to learn more about them. That's because everyone they meet sees a slightly different view of them and these views often don't get shared until after they passed away. He said this may even make them feel more distant because there's a side you didn't realize you didn't know, but to remember they were always that person that you loved and nothing will change that.
I am fortunate that he was always very open with me about everything in his life, but I'm looking forward to hearing the stories from all of his friends and loved ones that he didn't have a chance to tell me himself.
