Thomas A. Carlson Obituary

From Sarah
As some of you may know, my incredible, loving father, Tom, passed away suddenly on Sunday likely due to complications in his heart. He did not suffer, and he lived a life full of love and happiness up until the moment of his death. We were lucky to have spent the last month together with the whole family at home, drinking craft beers, eating meals together, and playing games. I cannot imagine how I’m going to go on after this, but I know he would want me to. With the help of my mom, Dan, family, and friends, we will lean on each other to get through this and make him proud. In his memory, I pledge to be the best version of myself I possibly can be. Dad held my hand through every twist and turn in my life, molding me into the person I am today. He went to every single chorus, a cappella, dance, and theater performance I was in. We went letterboxing just the two of us together. He helped me with my homework. He visited me throughout college. He cooked me food. He took care of me when I was sick. He was the best father I ever could have asked for and wanted nothing in return. He was truly the most selfless person I’ve ever known and it’s an honor to call him my father.
This is a horrific loss for not just me, mom, and Dan, but for so many other people. Dad was deeply loved and admired by everyone his life touched, whether for just a moment or decades. His hearty laugh filled even the largest of rooms, and his jokes would make you laugh on even the worst days. He made friends with everyone, from the people he saw regularly on the commuter train into work, to the people he sat next to at Dan’s soccer games. Thank you, Bapa, for everything you’ve done for us. We will never forget and will honor you for the rest of our lives. We will be having a private burial of his ashes in RI with immediate family within the coming week. In a couple months, when it is safe to do so, we will hold a giant party celebrating his life, complete with his favorite craft beers, lots of food, and pictures and videos of dad and family. EVERYONE who knew and loved him are invited. More details will come. In the meantime, thank you to everyone for your love and support to me and our family. I’m not quite ready to talk, but I will be. Please feel free to reach out with memories, pictures, videos, etc. Much love



From Dan
This is an impossible task. No combination of words will be enough to describe this incredible man. On Sunday, April 19th, the world lost its best dad, husband, and friend.
Thomas Alan Carlson had a life full of curiosity, love, and adventure. His wide smile and infectious laugh brought immediate happiness to all who were lucky enough to meet him. If ever in doubt, you might find him letterboxing with the dogs, critiquing craft beers at the local brewery with his family, or finding new ways to show off his nerdy interests. Perhaps the most epitomizing of Tom’s traits is his passion; he dedicated himself to all aspects of his life, evidenced by his innate ability to make friends with strangers, memorize the chapter-long poems of fantasy novels, sit front row at each of his daughter’s performances, and travel countless hours only to watch his son kick around a soccer ball. Tom’s presence made it very hard to dislike him. His outgoing personality made him a devoted husband, father, brother, worker, and friend. Selfless and supportive, Tom always prioritized others before himself. He was a companion to his coworkers, an almanac of knowledge to his friends, a role model to
his children, and a rock to his wife: he was the man that his dogs thought he was.