Carol Jean Carlson

Longtime Port Ludlow resident, Carol Jean Carlson, age 89, passed away on Monday, April 5, 2021 in Silverdale, Washington after a series of illnesses. Born to Anthony E. and Helen G. (Wilkins) Karnes in Ketchikan, Alaska, on November 22, 1931, Carol grew up in Juneau, Alaska, where she met her future husband, Bill H. Carlson, one day on the ski slopes. Married on May 29, 1950, Carol and Bill had two children, Mitchell A. and Leslie G. Carlson. When Bill joined the U.S. Army to become a helicopter pilot, their travels began, including three years in Germany where they spent their vacations camping around Europe. As a military wife, Carol moved often and held the family together during her husband's two tours in Vietnam. After the military, Carol and Bill started a business taking guests on cruises to Alaska on their yacht the Excalibur. Carol was an excellent cook and published a family cookbook. Never one to sit still, Carol enjoyed sewing, beading, and gardening, and volunteered on the Port Ludlow Architectural Control Committee. When asked the question "What is the meaning of life?" Carol responded, "To love and be loved." She exemplified this in all of her relationships, becoming a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, neighbor, and friend. Carol is survived by her son, Mitchell Carlson and his wife Mary, daughter, Leslie Carlson, granddaughter, Alexandra Carlson, three great-grandchildren, Amaya Carlson and Millie and Dawson Williamson, two sisters, Jackie Earle and Nancy Hutchens, and numerous loved nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her husband, parents, and older sister, Betty Honn. A celebration of Carol's life will be scheduled once the Covid epidemic has abated. The family thanks the staff of Northwoods Lodge, Jefferson Healthcare Home Health, Jefferson Hospital, and Virginia Mason Hospital for their loving care of Carol over the past two years.