Russell Albert Carlson

BIDDEFORD — Russell Albert Carlson, 83, born in Worchester, Massachusetts, on April 4, 1938, eded March 23, 2022 at his home.

He grew up in Hanover, New Hampshire, raised family in Cheshire, Connecticut, was semi-retired in Bristol, New Hampshire, and fully retired in Biddeford, Maine.

He is survived by: his wife of 57 years, Jane; three sons and their wives, Allen and Jing of Ithaca New York, Andrew and Shelly of Saco, Maine, and Ned and Catherine (Cat) of Denver, Colorado; four grandchildren, Ned and Ethan from Ithaca, New York and Alden and Cornelia from Denver, Colorado; a sister, Betty Ann Heistad of Lebanon, New Hampshire; a brother, Warren of Medford, Oregon; a brother-in-law, Ned Allen of Lewiston, Maine; a niece and several nephews; and his dog, Jasper.

Russ was a family man. His love for his wife is the stuff of legends. They met while students at the University of New Hampshire. He always had her back; she was right, the world must be wrong.

Learning to ski at an early age, Russ was a life long skier. He taught his sons and grandchildren to ski and love the sport. He took his last ski run in his 80th year.

Russ was an Army veteran and proud of his service.

Hiking and camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and along the Maine coast were important to him.

As a teenager, Russ sailed to Greenland on a schooner out of Boothbay Harbor.

Soccer was his sport. He coached a U.S. Army soccer team while stationed in Germany. He coached or attended nearly every game his sons ever played. In retirement, Russ became a big supporter of the Thornton Academy Boys Soccer team, coached by son Andy.

Russ loved to garden and producing enough vegetables for friends and family was important to him.

Professionally, Russ was in “sales.” Whether he was promoting industrial real estate or financial investments, he loved educating people on making things better for the future.

Family lore has it that Russ, whose favorite foods were lobster and apple pie, once ate 10 lobsters at one meal when he was a young man. Personally, his family knows he could eat half of one of Jane’s apple pies. Russ loved good food.

Russ liked to build things and fix things. His favorite was to use old skies to make a chair or bench or table.

Russ was an active guy; he was a “doer.” He gave all his love to his family and his energies went into doing things!

The world lost a “good guy” on March 23, 2022.

Presently no services are planned.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Russell Carlson’s Memory to: Thornton Academy Boys Soccer Program, c/o Andrew Carlson, Thornton Academy, 438 Main St., Saco, ME 04072.