Obituary of Alan J. Carlson

On Monday, November 15th, 2021, Alan J. Carlson, loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather went to be with his Heavenly Father.  This gentle and prayerful man leaves behind a far-reaching legacy of Christian faith.  He was 92.

In 1929, Alan was born to Carl and Vera Carlson in Chicago IL.  The family moved often, living in suburbs of St. Louis, MO and Minneapolis, MN.  He graduated from Kirkwood (Missouri) High School and then served in the United States Air Force where he deployed to Korea.   After returning home, he married Julia West in 1957. He attended George Williams College for a Masters Degree in Group Work Administration.  Al enjoyed his work for the YMCA, the American Institute of Architects plus running his own association management business until his retirement in 2005.

Al's greatest joy was serving the Lord and his family.

Alan is survived by his wife, Julie, his three children, Dave Carlson, Sharon (Tom) Duke, Steve (Kim) Carlson, 11 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, as well as 2 sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

A memorial service and celebration of Al's life will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, December 2, 2021, at Wayne Zion Lutheran Church, 15531 County Road E17, Monticello, IA 52310.  Visitation will be from 12:00-2:00 PM before the service.

Memorials may be given in Al’s name to Muscular Dystrophy Association - MDA.org, Silver Birch Ranch, White Lake, WI, Wayne Zion Church, Monticello, IA, or YMCA George Williams College Camp, Lake Geneva, WI.