Lawrence H. Carlson

Lawrence H. ‘Butch’ Carlson, 70, of New Britain, passed away peacefully on November 9, 2014 at Hartford Hospital with his family by his side. He was born in Hartford and was son to the late Lawrence G. and Ruth A. (Vandercar) Carlson. He was an electrician by trade and owned and operated A to Z Electrical Contractors.

From an early age, he was an avid auto enthusiast and model railroader. As a young man he enjoyed fishing, scuba diving and hunting. Later in life he became an accomplished gardener, as well as an active member/judge of the American Dahlia Society. He created two original dahlias; the Jubilee Buttercup and the award winning Jubilee Ruby.

He will be remembered by his family and friends for his strong willed nature and a heart of gold. He was a wonderful father and grandfather.

He is survived by daughter Laura Carlson of New Britain; daughter Stephanie Carlson and her son Joshua of Cheshire; daughter Kristen and Daniel Finn and their children, Ethan, Ryley, Logan, Gwendolyn and Ava of Farmington; daughter Wendy Carlson of Berlin; brother Ronald Carlson and his wife Karen and nephew Richard of West Suffield; and his beloved Siamese cat, Mr. Lucky. He was predeceased by infant brother Carlson and his nephew Keith Carlson.

Visitation hours will be Friday, November 14, 2014 from 4-8pm at the New Britain Memorial - Donald D. Sagarino Funeral Home, 444 Farmington Ave., New Britain.

Funeral services will begin Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 9:00am at the funeral home, followed by his funeral liturgy at 10:00am at Holy Cross Church. Burial with military honors will follow in Fairview Cemetery, all in New Britain.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his memory to: The Juvenile Diabetes Fund 26 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004. For directions or online tributes, please visit www.newbritainsagarino.com.