Natalie Helen Carlson

Carlson, Natalie Helen of Seattle, Washington, July 31, 2025. Beloved wife of Jeffrey E. Coombs and mother of Eric Carlson Coombs. Sister of Susan of Tucson, Arizona, and Jeanine of Lincoln, Massachusetts. Daughter of the late Marion and Richard Carlson of Poughkeepsie, NY. Aunt of Christopher Buck and Great Aunt to Maddie and Lylah. Devoted companion to the family’s Labradoodle, Coco. A celebration of Natalie’s life will be held at Natalie and Jeff’s Queen Anne home on Wednesday, August 6.

An active adventure traveler, Natalie visited over 60 countries, and believed that a vacation required a passport and a large supply of Band-Aids. Even nine months after her pancreatic cancer diagnosis and one month before her passing, Natalie traveled to Bora Bora and climbed the Col des Trois Cocotiers on Moorea with her husband and son.

Natalie’s passionate devotion to exercise and health included running over 40 marathons, climbing 20,000 foot peaks, century bike rides, sea kayaking, triathlons, cross-country ski marathons and rigorous backpacking and hiking.

A model in her youth, Natalie’s keen sense of fashion led to a successful career in retail. Cutting her teeth at Macy’s and The Gap and culminating in a leadership position at TravelSmith, transforming them from a start-up canoe outfitter into the leading international travel clothing and accessories catalog. She invented the Indispensable Black Travel Dress ™, copied by all of the other major catalogs.

After her career in fashion, Natalie retired to start a family and become a full-time mom. Her devotion to Eric drove her to head fundraising at Queen Anne Elementary, where she raised over a million dollars to ensure the success of this newly opened experimental school.

Natalie received a BA from Brandeis University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in support of Jeff’s Obliteride on August 9, 2025 to raise money for the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Donations can be made at:

https://www.obliteride.org/