He was born June 29, 1949, son of J. E. Victor and Ruby Lorraine Knobloch Carlson. A graduate of Waynesburg High School, he entered Waynesburg University where he majored in Spanish and was awarded the B. A. degree in 1971.
Following college, he began his work career as a staff writer for the Observer-Reporter newspaper. Later he became an air traffic controller, serving in Morgantown, WV, West Lafayette IN, Greater Pittsburgh International, and Ithaca, NY. He went on to work for nearly 20 years for Alltel and Windstream Communications in Greene County, Ohio, and Murraysville.
Paul had a life-long love of music, playing tuba in the High School band and participating in musicals. In college he sang throughout his undergraduate career with the touring choir The Lamplighters, and continued to sing with them after he had graduated.
In recent years, as a member of the First Methodist Church of Waynesburg, he continued with his love of music; singing in the church choir and performing with the RLW Quartet, recently winning the July 4 Lions Club competition. Over the years, he also sang with several other church choirs in Waynesburg.
A quiet, humble person, Paul was active in his community, serving as a volunteer for many years with Meals on Wheels, where he was valued by fellow volunteers and clients alike. He also served as judge of elections at the polls.
He enjoyed a number of hobbies, including golf, darts, and participation in trivia tournaments. One of his favorite activities was vacationing with his extended family, especially his nieces and nephews. He also enjoyed monthly dinners with his friends from his high school class.
He is survived by his two brothers, Jack (Lynn) Carlson, of Bel Air, MD, and Mark (LuAnn) Carlson of Waynesburg, Pa; also nephews John (Ginger) Carlson, of Chandler, AZ, Shawn (Jamie) Carlson, of Sewickley, PA; nieces Allison (Bernie) Yutesler, of Columbia, MD, and Amy (Kristina) Carlson, of Perry Hall, MD; also several grandnieces and grandnephews: Regan Carlson of Waynesburg, Stella and Enzo Carlson of Sewickly; James and Christopher Carlson of Chandler, AZ, and Zoey Pom Carlson of Columbia, MD.
