Christopher Nathaniel Carlson

May 14th, 1989 - May 14th, 2026

Christopher was an incredibly talented and well-loved father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. His 6-year-old daughter was the light of his life and the center of his world. His greatest joy was being her Daddy.

Christopher was kind, caring, and would help anyone who asked. He had hundreds of friends throughout Sacramento, across the country, and around the world. He had a gift for making every person he encountered feel ‘seen,’ and spent time getting to know them. He loved and served people no matter their station.

Chris was a lifelong performer and creator. He was self-taught on piano and guitar. He could pick up any instrument, draw anything, build any puppet, and sing any song. He could even tapdance. He sang in the backup choir for Andre Bocelli, interviewed Danny Glover with a custom puppet, and even built a puppet in the likeness of Bernie Sanders, which he gifted to Sen. Sanders at a rally.

Christopher was active in the Sacramento theatre community from age 9. He performed locally with Music Circus and Best of Broadway; and traveled with the National Broadway Tour of Les Miserables as Gavroche at age 10. At Sacramento State University, he learned the art of playwriting and puppetry, graduating with a BA in Theater Arts in 2010. He attended Second City in Chicago, a puppetry workshop at Kennedy Center, and interned at Berkeley Repertory Theater. He enjoyed writing and directing original musicals and performing these with his friends.

Chris loved entertaining his community. He spent many nights puppeteering downtown, doing stand-up improv with friends, participating in shows at various theaters, and performing with local musician friends. He often pushed his piano out onto his balcony and would take requests from passersby; or would set up with his guitar and sing on a street corner during Art Walks.

An activist for social justice and the environment, in 2016 Chris donned a Col. Sanders costume and was highly entertaining as ‘Col. Bunny Sandals’ –a campaign shtick for Bernie Sanders.

He ran for Governor of California in 2018 as a Green Party candidate, and had the number 7302 tattooed on his arm to commemorate the number of votes he received.

Christopher also had a passion for astrophysics. He attended and volunteered for at least four Starmus Festivals–annual international festivals celebrating science and music– traveling to Switzerland, Bratislava, and the Canary Islands, where he met Jane Goodall and Buzz Aldrin.

Chris loved hanging out with his family and friends. He enjoyed river floats every summer. He was an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan and also loved the A’s. He loved to travel; he loved his family & friends, and he loved life. He loved his sweet nephew Oskar. Above all, he loved his daughter.

Christopher is survived by his daughter Lucy-Rose (age 6), whom he loved with all of his heart; parents Bethany Davis (Scott) and Michael Carlson (Rhonda); sister Brianna Behnoud (Amir) and nephew Oskar; sister Lacey Carlson (Savannah); half-sister Jei Carlson; step siblings Josh Sigler, CC Reyne (Dallin) and their children. He was the grandson of Pastor Harry & Violet Carlson, Cathie Heller (Phil), and Pastor Curt Pedder (Kathleen).