In Memory of

Leonard

Alfred

Carlson

Obituary for Leonard Alfred Carlson

Leonard Alfred Carlson, 92, died on Aug. 28, 2018, at home with his family.

He was born on June 3, 1926, in Iron Mountain, Mich., the son of Alfred L. and Clara H. (Dohrmann) Carlson. He graduated from Kingsford High School in the class of 1944. He joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served in World War II on the destroyer U.S.S. Bell in the Pacific theater. He returned from the war and attended Michigan Technological University where he obtained a chemical engineering degree. While at Tech he played varsity football and was a member of the undefeated 1948 team. He married Marguerite Helen Piotrowski on Feb. 8, 1964, in Detroit.

Len was employed as a papermaker for 38 years in Battle Creek. He retired in 1988 to their home on Portage Lake where he and Marge became innkeepers at their Inn Wick-a-te-wah. He was always an avid fisherman and he continued fishing into his retirement. He loved Lake Michigan and walked the beach in front of his home daily. During his retirement he discovered wood sculpting and attended sculpting classes for the rest of his life. He and Marge spent most winters in their second home amongst many friends in Pensacola Beach, Fla. They traveled much and made many friends around the world.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Marguerite; six sisters and two brothers.

He is survived by his daughter Christina Carlson (Marty Alley); his son, Steven Carlson (Wendy Harthun), both of Manistee; his sister, Celia Beiner, of Rockford; numerous nieces and nephews and sons and daughters "adopted" into the family too numerous to count.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at Oak Grove Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Manistee. There will be a one-hour visitation at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. Following the visitation there will be a memorial service at 11 a.m. presided by Father Lawrence Sergott. Military honors by the Manistee Veterans Council will follow the service.

Please visit Leonard's personal book of memories page at www.oakgrovefh.com.