It spoke volumes about Don Carlson that three different organizations posted heartfelt messages of condolence following his sudden passing: The Naval Academy, Arundel High School and the Anne Arundel County Tennis Association.
Mr. Carlson graduated from the Naval Academy in 1972 and was stationed there toward the end of his active duty career. Upon retirement, Mr. Carlson remained at the academy as Director of the Plebe Intervention and Plebe Advising programs from 1999 to 2016.
“In that role Don provided exceptional academic support for midshipmen and their faculty advisers,” Naval Academy provost Samara Firebaugh wrote. “We are deeply saddened by his loss and grateful for his service to USNA and the nation.”
Arundel High athletics posted a message to its Instagram page about Carlson. He was a substitute teacher and assistant coach with the varsity tennis program the past two years.
“Arundel athletics is mourning the loss of a coach, teacher, mentor and friend to all,” the post read. “He was a kind man, always reliable and cared for all staff and students with whom he interacted.”
“Don left a lasting legacy on so many of us. We were honored to have spent time with him and will miss him terribly,” the Anne Arundel County Tennis Association posted about the certified United States Professional Tennis Association instructor.
Mr. Carlson died July 3 at Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie. The longtime Gambrills resident was 74 years old.
Growing up in Boardman, Ohio, he was a two-sport athlete at Cardinal Mooney High — excelling in football and setting records in track and field. He attended boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes then played football at the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island.
Recruited by the Naval Academy as a football player, he quit the team after one season on to focus on academics.
After graduation, he attended flight school and earned his wings two years later. He flew the Sikorsky H-53 helicopter during a 16-year career.
Mr. Carlson was assigned to the Academic Center at the Naval Academy and was in charge of academic advising for all plebes.
“Don was ideal for the position because he was very patient and had an engaging personality. He truly cared about the midshipmen he worked with and was dedicated to keeping them on track academically,” said Dr. Jane Good, his supervisor.
“It was easy for our plebes that were struggling to get support and assurance they could succeed if they stayed the course from someone like Don, who was an incredibly sensitive and caring person,” athletic director Chet Gladchuk said.
Mr. Carlson kept quite busy in retirement — substitute teaching at Arundel High, giving tennis lessons almost daily and even driving for Uber. He was a part-time instructor at Severn Valley Racquet Club for many years before offering lessons on public courts throughout the Crofton, Gambrills and Odenton areas.
( recent photo of him as a coach waiting to be processed)
Mr. Carlson was a volunteer coach for Arundel tennis before becoming an assistant coach. He spent the past two years with the program, getting the opportunity to coach his granddaughter, Samantha Scott, this spring.
“Don was a staple of the program and a real team player. He was a tremendous mentor and leader who was greatly respected by both the players and coaches,” Arundel tennis coach Barbara Linke said.
Whenever there was good weather, Mr. Carlson, whose home in the Arundel View neighborhood was adjacent to the Arundel campus, would send out a mass email letting kids know he would be conducting a clinic, Ms. Linke said.
Those Arundel High tennis courts that Carlson roamed so often and so long have turned into a memorial for him. Current and former students have placed dozens of tennis balls into the fence surrounding the courts and on each was written a message in his honor.
“My dad would write CEC [Confidence, Enthusiasm and Concentration, Mr. Carlson’s mantra] inside of our hats for every sport we played so that in moments of adversity we could look up and be reminded of why we were even playing,” said Becky Carlson, his youngest child. “It was never about winning or losing. He wanted us to gain from the competition and challenge.”
Becky Carlson said it’s no surprise that two of three children became college coaches because of the values her father instilled.
“He was our dad and our coach first, but he was everybody’s coach,” said Lindsay Carlson, who played tennis collegiately at Pittsburgh. “No matter who Dad met, he was always teaching.”
Roger Little, an economics professor at the Naval Academy, first met Carlson when they joined forces to coach recreational soccer when their children were playing.
“Don was a terrific friend to all who knew him,” Little said. “I’m really going to miss having Don next to me during football games because he really knew the game and would point out subtle things that I missed or explain something I did not understand.”
Mr. Carlson is survived by his wife of 51 years Evelyn, whom he met at a party in Annapolis while a midshipman; three children — Andrew Carlson and wife Tamara, of Mount Vernon, Ohio, Lindsay Carlson Scott and husband Michael, of Odenton, Rebecca Carlson and wife Jill of Noank, Connecticut; three brothers — David Carlson, of St. Petersburg, Florida, Paul Carlson, of Columbus, Ohio, and Tom Carlson, of Struthers, Ohio; and eight grandchildren.
Viewings for Don Carlson are being held Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Hardesty Funeral Home in Gambrills. A funeral mass is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.
A memorial at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis is planned for late summer.