George (Begenisich) Carlson

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Biography

George was a son of Kosto "Gus" Begenisich and Rose Marie Markovich. After his mother remarried he was adopted by his stepfather, Alfred "Fred" Carlson.

Birth

10 Jul 1919.

Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Marriage

Husband George K. Carlson.

Wife Irene Ruth Isaacson.

Child: Craig Carlson.

Child: Jeanine Ruth Carlson.

Marriage

5 Apr 1942.

Spokane, Spokane, Washington^[6]

Death

30 Mar 2006.

Shoreline, King, Washington.^[1][7][3]

Cause: heart disease.

Obituary

The Seattle Times

6 April 2006

Civic leader found success in many arenas

By Erik Lacitis

Seattle Times staff reporter

George Carlson, pictured in 1958, was among a generation of local civic leaders in Seattle.

For many Seattleites in the 1960s through the early '70s, it was George Carlson who brought the world of travel to their living-room TV sets each week.

Back when his homespun "Northwest Traveler" began airing, Mr. Carlson had local guests bring their 16-millimeter vacation films to the TV station, and neighbor to neighbor, at 7 p.m., for some 400 episodes, they would chat about Hawaii or Mexico or Asia or wherever they had visited.

Guests were paid $125. At various times, the shows aired on KOMO-TV and KIRO-TV and were syndicated to other markets.

The show was scripted, but back then a teleprompter for Mr. Carlson consisted of the script written on a roll of butcher paper held below the camera, as a floor director pulled the paper down.

Mr. Carlson, 86, died March 30 of heart disease.

He was among a generation of local civic leaders from the era of Seafair boosterism and the 1962 Century 21 World's Fair in Seattle.

"George was among those who led the cheers for whatever happened to be community action at the time. ... He was a person who prepared himself for all those things that looked so easy to him. He never blew them," said Jim Ellis, who is credited with leading a successful effort to clean up Lake Washington and spearheading Seattle's infrastructure growth in the 1970s.

Staying active

Mr. Carlson was professionally active until only a few months ago, when he moved to the Anderson House, an assisted-living, rehabilitation and nursing facility in Shoreline. Even there, he insisted that he get both Seattle daily newspapers each day so he could keep up with local goings-on.

For 25 years, Mr. Carlson was an associate broker with Windermere Real Estate Northwest in Seattle's Eastlake neighborhood.

"He made a sale in November," said his son, the Rev. Craig Carlson of Duluth, Minn.

His son remembered how last year, his father had to deal with the death of his wife of 63 years, Irene, and a serious bout of pneumonia. At the same time, he had to take 27 hours of classes to renew his real-estate license.

Last year, after his wife died, Mr. Carlson decided to get his affairs in order. He wrote what was basically his own obituary.

But, said his son, Mr. Carlson never called it that. It was headlined, "Résumé of George Carlson."

Mr. Carlson was born July 10, 1919, in Portland.

He attended Whitworth College in Spokane and the University of Washington, majoring in journalism. When he was in his early 20s, he met Irene while working as a bellhop at the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown Seattle.

When World War II broke out, Mr. Carlson enlisted in the Army Air Force, eventually working in the public-relations section of Gen. Claire Lee Chennault's "Flying Tigers" in China.

Mingling with stars

After the war, Mr. Carlson's varied career included being executive director of the Republican State Committee of Washington and, in 1959, starting the George Carlson & Associates Western Lecture/Entertainment Agency.

He brought the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Seattle in 1962. He was among the first to promote the public talents of the Rev. Dale Turner of Seattle.

But Mr. Carlson also booked such personalities as Yazim the Belly Dancer and a Grays Harbor County pharmacist who said she used to be a go-go dancer and lectured soldiers on the dangers of venereal disease.

In his résumé, Mr. Carlson proudly included a handwritten letter that had been mailed on Oct. 18, 1959, by an actor then living in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

The actor had been the headliner at a Seattle event emceed by Mr. Carlson.

Wrote the actor, "It was a pleasure to share once again the 'mashed potato circuit' with you and I meant it when I said 'you were tough to follow.' Sincerely, Ronnie."

At the top of the letter was the actor's full name: Ronald Reagan.

In addition to his son, Mr. Carlson is survived by daughter Jeanine Carlson of Reston, Va., a grandson and two granddaughters.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Ballard First Lutheran Church, 2006 N.W. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Source: #S1
2. ↑ Source: #S6
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Source: #S7
4. ↑ Source: #S4
5. ↑ Source: #S51
6. ↑ Source: #S5
7. ↑ Source: #S6
8. ↑ Source: #S7

• Source: S1 Carlson, Jeanine - personal knowledge Carlson, Jeanine, interview 11 Jan 2011
• Source: S4 1920 Federal Census - Household of Gus L. Begenisich, enumerated 15 January 1920. Series T625, Roll 1499. Multomah County, Oregon - Portland File
• Source: S51 1940 Federal Census - Household of Fred Carlson, enumerated 5 April 1940. Series T627, Roll 4385
• Source: S5 State of Washington Marriage Certiifcate of George Carlson and Irene R. Isaacson. Series A76174, Certificate #155, 5 April 1942.
• Source: S6 Social Security Death Index: Name: George Carlson SSN: 711-03-9846 Last Residence: 98119 Seattle, King, Washington Born: 10 Jul 1919 Died: 30 Mar 2006 State (Year) SSN issued: Railroad Board (Issued Through) (Before 1951)
• Source: S7 The Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington The Seattle Times, 6 April 2006. "Civic leader found success in many arenas," By Erik Lacitis Seattle Times staff reporter
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54713077/george_k-carlson: accessed July 17, 2024), memorial page for George K. Carlson (10 Jul 1919–30 Mar 2006), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54713077; Burial Details Unknown; Maintained by Grave Tag'r (contributor 46491198).