Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
March 10, 2009
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, March 13, 2009 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Fred Carlson, age 85 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, March 10, 2009. He was born in Passaic and lived his early years in Clifton. He graduated from Clifton High School with the class of 1942.
He had been employed with National Cash Register, NCR, of Fairlawn until his retirement in 1987.
When Fred was just seven years old, his mother took him and his two sisters and baby brother back to Sweden to visit family. During the voyage, Fred explored every square inch of their ship and befriended the whole crew. He fell in love with the Sea and the experience was so profound it created wanderlust in Fred; he was determined to sail the world when he grew up. Immediately after graduating high school, he joined the Merchant Marine and did just that. He has literally been all around the world; visited hundreds of ports, he’s been through the Fjords of Scandinavia, to India and beyond. He would gladly share his stories and loved every minute of his life at sea.
Fred was then drafted into the US Army during the end of World War II. He was discharged but then recalled to serve in Germany during the Korean War era.
Shortly after his return from the Army, he became reacquainted with Evelyn Heldt, whom he had known in high school. They were married in May of 1952 and enjoyed fifty seven years of "wonderful" marriage together. They had already purchased their house in Wayne and moved right in after the wedding. Fred took full advantage of living at Pines Lake, especially with the sailing club. In 1968 Fred and Evelyn purchased a home on LBI and this became Fred’s second love. He spent as much time there as he possibly could, sitting on the deck and staring out at the ocean. While on LBI, he would often volunteer at the St. Francis Community Center, feeding the elderly. As grandchildren arrived he found great pleasure in watching them develop a love of the beach and ocean that matched his own. Fred also was an avid reader, never without a book or two, who was thrilled that his children and grandchildren had inherited his love of books.
Fred never lost his adventurous spirit. His son Scott recalls a trip to Maine where his father turned down a narrow road and followed it, just to see where it went – something Fred would do frequently. His daughters Carin and Christine remember their family trip to Europe, in 1983; they had no advanced reservations or hotel plans. They simply traveled the countryside and found places to stay when they needed. The whole trip was a true adventure that epitomized their dad’s spirit and left them all with many fond memories.
As Fred sets sail once again, he leaves his beloved wife of fifty seven years, Evelyn (nee Heldt), three children; Scott Carlson of Hamden, NY, Carin Wantula and her husband Richard of Wayne, and Christine Bertha and her husband Richard of West Milford, three grandchildren; Eric Bertha of West Milford and Hannah and Christian Wantula of Wayne, and one brother; Harold Carlson of Clifton. Fred was predeceased by his twin sisters; Marion Eckert in 1995 and Beatrice Harwood in 2007.
The family kindly requests donations, in lieu of flowers, to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, March 13, 2009 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
March 10, 2009
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, March 13, 2009 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Fred Carlson, age 85 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, March 10, 2009. He was born in Passaic and lived his early years in Clifton. He graduated from Clifton High School with the class of 1942.
He had been employed with National Cash Register, NCR, of Fairlawn until his retirement in 1987.
When Fred was just seven years old, his mother took him and his two sisters and baby brother back to Sweden to visit family. During the voyage, Fred explored every square inch of their ship and befriended the whole crew. He fell in love with the Sea and the experience was so profound it created wanderlust in Fred; he was determined to sail the world when he grew up. Immediately after graduating high school, he joined the Merchant Marine and did just that. He has literally been all around the world; visited hundreds of ports, he’s been through the Fjords of Scandinavia, to India and beyond. He would gladly share his stories and loved every minute of his life at sea.
Fred was then drafted into the US Army during the end of World War II. He was discharged but then recalled to serve in Germany during the Korean War era.
Shortly after his return from the Army, he became reacquainted with Evelyn Heldt, whom he had known in high school. They were married in May of 1952 and enjoyed fifty seven years of "wonderful" marriage together. They had already purchased their house in Wayne and moved right in after the wedding. Fred took full advantage of living at Pines Lake, especially with the sailing club. In 1968 Fred and Evelyn purchased a home on LBI and this became Fred’s second love. He spent as much time there as he possibly could, sitting on the deck and staring out at the ocean. While on LBI, he would often volunteer at the St. Francis Community Center, feeding the elderly. As grandchildren arrived he found great pleasure in watching them develop a love of the beach and ocean that matched his own. Fred also was an avid reader, never without a book or two, who was thrilled that his children and grandchildren had inherited his love of books.
Fred never lost his adventurous spirit. His son Scott recalls a trip to Maine where his father turned down a narrow road and followed it, just to see where it went – something Fred would do frequently. His daughters Carin and Christine remember their family trip to Europe, in 1983; they had no advanced reservations or hotel plans. They simply traveled the countryside and found places to stay when they needed. The whole trip was a true adventure that epitomized their dad’s spirit and left them all with many fond memories.
As Fred sets sail once again, he leaves his beloved wife of fifty seven years, Evelyn (nee Heldt), three children; Scott Carlson of Hamden, NY, Carin Wantula and her husband Richard of Wayne, and Christine Bertha and her husband Richard of West Milford, three grandchildren; Eric Bertha of West Milford and Hannah and Christian Wantula of Wayne, and one brother; Harold Carlson of Clifton. Fred was predeceased by his twin sisters; Marion Eckert in 1995 and Beatrice Harwood in 2007.
The family kindly requests donations, in lieu of flowers, to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Guestbook