Edward R. Carlson, 80, of Salida died Aug. 19, 2016, at home of cancer.
He was born April 14, 1936, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., to Sture Thorstein Carlson and Ottilie Iten Carlson.
His father was a forester with the National Park Service and his mother was a nurse.
The family moved to Berkley, Calif., and then to Santa Fe, N.M., where he attended school from kindergarten through 12th grade and later attended reunions with his close-knit Class of '55.
He studied forestry at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
He married his first wife, Diana Fisher, in 1957.
Mr. Carlson always wanted to work for the National Park Service.
He held seasonal jobs at Colorado National Monument and Big Bend National Park.
In 1959 he moved to a permanent guide job at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
He moved to Everglades National Park as a ranger in 1962, where he ran patrol boats through the Everglades chasing alligator poachers and illegal fishermen.
Mr. Carlson conducted the first prescribed burns in the national parks.
He became a marksman and certified firearms instructor and kept this skill and passion for firearms all his life.
In 1968 he transferred to the Grand Canyon and managed the inner canyon, establishing a reservation system for hikers going to the Colorado River, as overuse was degrading the river corridor.
He managed wildland firefighting teams in the Southwest.
Mr. Carlson married his wife, Cary, in 1971 on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
He worked at Sequoia National Park from 1972 to 1974 as district ranger in the midst of giant Sequoia trees and a ski area.
From 1974 to 1981 he worked at Joshua Tree National Park as district ranger. It was a vast remote area that he patrolled by Jeep and motorcycle and met interesting "desert rats."
He made a significant discovery of Cahuilla Indian basketry while exploring backcountry boulder fields.
In 1981 he became chief ranger at Pinnacles National Park, where he purchased two state-of-the-art fire engines that used air and foam on remote forest fires.
Mr. Carlson retired in 1991.
He and his wife moved to Santa Fe, where he volunteered to make trails in a 4,000-acre private preserve adjacent to their subdivision.
The couple traveled extensively in a recreational vehicle, mostly visiting the national parks and forests, and took several cruises.
They enjoyed the last 11 years in Salida motorcycling, fishing, rock hounding and RVing.
He was preceded in death by a son, David Michael.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years; children, Lisa Ann (Hilary), Edward Thor and Leslie Carol; grandchildren, Landon and Lauren; brothers, Lee and Robert; nephews, Maxwell, Drew and Reid; niece, Anne; and pets Chiquita and Noche.
Memorial Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Salida.
Cremains will be interred at Fairview Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, or to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are with Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida.
He was born April 14, 1936, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., to Sture Thorstein Carlson and Ottilie Iten Carlson.
His father was a forester with the National Park Service and his mother was a nurse.
The family moved to Berkley, Calif., and then to Santa Fe, N.M., where he attended school from kindergarten through 12th grade and later attended reunions with his close-knit Class of '55.
He studied forestry at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
He married his first wife, Diana Fisher, in 1957.
Mr. Carlson always wanted to work for the National Park Service.
He held seasonal jobs at Colorado National Monument and Big Bend National Park.
In 1959 he moved to a permanent guide job at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
He moved to Everglades National Park as a ranger in 1962, where he ran patrol boats through the Everglades chasing alligator poachers and illegal fishermen.
Mr. Carlson conducted the first prescribed burns in the national parks.
He became a marksman and certified firearms instructor and kept this skill and passion for firearms all his life.
In 1968 he transferred to the Grand Canyon and managed the inner canyon, establishing a reservation system for hikers going to the Colorado River, as overuse was degrading the river corridor.
He managed wildland firefighting teams in the Southwest.
Mr. Carlson married his wife, Cary, in 1971 on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
He worked at Sequoia National Park from 1972 to 1974 as district ranger in the midst of giant Sequoia trees and a ski area.
From 1974 to 1981 he worked at Joshua Tree National Park as district ranger. It was a vast remote area that he patrolled by Jeep and motorcycle and met interesting "desert rats."
He made a significant discovery of Cahuilla Indian basketry while exploring backcountry boulder fields.
In 1981 he became chief ranger at Pinnacles National Park, where he purchased two state-of-the-art fire engines that used air and foam on remote forest fires.
Mr. Carlson retired in 1991.
He and his wife moved to Santa Fe, where he volunteered to make trails in a 4,000-acre private preserve adjacent to their subdivision.
The couple traveled extensively in a recreational vehicle, mostly visiting the national parks and forests, and took several cruises.
They enjoyed the last 11 years in Salida motorcycling, fishing, rock hounding and RVing.
He was preceded in death by a son, David Michael.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years; children, Lisa Ann (Hilary), Edward Thor and Leslie Carol; grandchildren, Landon and Lauren; brothers, Lee and Robert; nephews, Maxwell, Drew and Reid; niece, Anne; and pets Chiquita and Noche.
Memorial Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Salida.
Cremains will be interred at Fairview Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, or to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are with Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida.
Edward R. Carlson, 80, of Salida died Aug. 19, 2016, at home of cancer.
He was born April 14, 1936, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., to Sture Thorstein Carlson and Ottilie Iten Carlson.
His father was a forester with the National Park Service and his mother was a nurse.
The family moved to Berkley, Calif., and then to Santa Fe, N.M., where he attended school from kindergarten through 12th grade and later attended reunions with his close-knit Class of '55.
He studied forestry at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
He married his first wife, Diana Fisher, in 1957.
Mr. Carlson always wanted to work for the National Park Service.
He held seasonal jobs at Colorado National Monument and Big Bend National Park.
In 1959 he moved to a permanent guide job at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
He moved to Everglades National Park as a ranger in 1962, where he ran patrol boats through the Everglades chasing alligator poachers and illegal fishermen.
Mr. Carlson conducted the first prescribed burns in the national parks.
He became a marksman and certified firearms instructor and kept this skill and passion for firearms all his life.
In 1968 he transferred to the Grand Canyon and managed the inner canyon, establishing a reservation system for hikers going to the Colorado River, as overuse was degrading the river corridor.
He managed wildland firefighting teams in the Southwest.
Mr. Carlson married his wife, Cary, in 1971 on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
He worked at Sequoia National Park from 1972 to 1974 as district ranger in the midst of giant Sequoia trees and a ski area.
From 1974 to 1981 he worked at Joshua Tree National Park as district ranger. It was a vast remote area that he patrolled by Jeep and motorcycle and met interesting "desert rats."
He made a significant discovery of Cahuilla Indian basketry while exploring backcountry boulder fields.
In 1981 he became chief ranger at Pinnacles National Park, where he purchased two state-of-the-art fire engines that used air and foam on remote forest fires.
Mr. Carlson retired in 1991.
He and his wife moved to Santa Fe, where he volunteered to make trails in a 4,000-acre private preserve adjacent to their subdivision.
The couple traveled extensively in a recreational vehicle, mostly visiting the national parks and forests, and took several cruises.
They enjoyed the last 11 years in Salida motorcycling, fishing, rock hounding and RVing.
He was preceded in death by a son, David Michael.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years; children, Lisa Ann (Hilary), Edward Thor and Leslie Carol; grandchildren, Landon and Lauren; brothers, Lee and Robert; nephews, Maxwell, Drew and Reid; niece, Anne; and pets Chiquita and Noche.
Memorial Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Salida.
Cremains will be interred at Fairview Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, or to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are with Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida.
He was born April 14, 1936, in Yosemite National Park, Calif., to Sture Thorstein Carlson and Ottilie Iten Carlson.
His father was a forester with the National Park Service and his mother was a nurse.
The family moved to Berkley, Calif., and then to Santa Fe, N.M., where he attended school from kindergarten through 12th grade and later attended reunions with his close-knit Class of '55.
He studied forestry at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
He married his first wife, Diana Fisher, in 1957.
Mr. Carlson always wanted to work for the National Park Service.
He held seasonal jobs at Colorado National Monument and Big Bend National Park.
In 1959 he moved to a permanent guide job at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
He moved to Everglades National Park as a ranger in 1962, where he ran patrol boats through the Everglades chasing alligator poachers and illegal fishermen.
Mr. Carlson conducted the first prescribed burns in the national parks.
He became a marksman and certified firearms instructor and kept this skill and passion for firearms all his life.
In 1968 he transferred to the Grand Canyon and managed the inner canyon, establishing a reservation system for hikers going to the Colorado River, as overuse was degrading the river corridor.
He managed wildland firefighting teams in the Southwest.
Mr. Carlson married his wife, Cary, in 1971 on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
He worked at Sequoia National Park from 1972 to 1974 as district ranger in the midst of giant Sequoia trees and a ski area.
From 1974 to 1981 he worked at Joshua Tree National Park as district ranger. It was a vast remote area that he patrolled by Jeep and motorcycle and met interesting "desert rats."
He made a significant discovery of Cahuilla Indian basketry while exploring backcountry boulder fields.
In 1981 he became chief ranger at Pinnacles National Park, where he purchased two state-of-the-art fire engines that used air and foam on remote forest fires.
Mr. Carlson retired in 1991.
He and his wife moved to Santa Fe, where he volunteered to make trails in a 4,000-acre private preserve adjacent to their subdivision.
The couple traveled extensively in a recreational vehicle, mostly visiting the national parks and forests, and took several cruises.
They enjoyed the last 11 years in Salida motorcycling, fishing, rock hounding and RVing.
He was preceded in death by a son, David Michael.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years; children, Lisa Ann (Hilary), Edward Thor and Leslie Carol; grandchildren, Landon and Lauren; brothers, Lee and Robert; nephews, Maxwell, Drew and Reid; niece, Anne; and pets Chiquita and Noche.
Memorial Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Salida.
Cremains will be interred at Fairview Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, or to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are with Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida.
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