Barbara A. Carlson

Barbara was born on July 20, 1942 on Staten Island, New York, the second child of Chief Petty Officer (Coast Guard) Ralph and Lola Beauchamp.

Barb met William H. Carlson in State College, Pennsylvania in 1963, where she was an office worker and he was an undergraduate student at Penn State University. They married later that year in New York. After Will completed his PhD in horticulture from Penn State in 1967, Barb and Will relocated with their new son to East Lansing, where Dr. William Carlson joined the Horticulture faculty at Michigan State University.

In addition to being a homemaker for Dr. Will and their two sons, Barb was a fabulous hostess to a constant stream of graduate students and visitors from the horticultural industry. When Dr. Will began an association for the newly developing bedding plant industry, Barbara became the office manager of Bedding Plants, International (BPI). Together, they built a trade association of hundreds of growers across the world.

Preceded in death by both her parents and her loving husband, Dr. William H. Carlson who passed away last year, Barbara is survived by her sons and their families: William and Mary Carlson of St. Johns and their children, Laura, George and John; and Wayne and Danette Carlson of Galesburg and their children, Riley, Bailey and Colin. Barb’s extended family includes her dear friends Dave and Robin Freville of Okemos; her brother, Ronnie Beauchamp and his wife Joan of New York; her brother-in-law Robert Carlson and his wife Martha of Pennsylvania; her sister-in-law Dorothy Albee and her husband Ron of Florida; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She will be missed.

A viewing will be held at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 East Grand River Avenue, East Lansing from 2 PM until 4 PM on Sunday, May 1st. Funeral services will be held at University Lutheran Church, 1020 South Harrison Road, East Lansing at 10 AM, Monday, May 2nd. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery.

On-line condolences may be made at www.gorslineruncimaneastlansing.com