Obituary of LeRoy Richard Carlson

LeRoy Richard Carlson of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 15, 2018 at Sunset Ridge of Jefferson Wisconsin.  He had been struggling with Lewy Bodies Dementia for 3 years. 

LeRoy was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 24, 1940.  He graduated from Southern Illinois University and taught woodshop in Wheaton, Illinois.  Leroy, however, was an entrepreneur at heart and moved to Richmond, Wisconsin to create and design products for the craft and gift industries until his retirement in 2015.  He was known as a “Master Craftsman” in the miniatures industry and 2 of his dollhouses are on display at House on the Rock in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

Although LeRoy lived in the Whitewater area for half his life he remained an avid Chicago sports fan. He cheered and jeered countless Bears, Cubs and Bulls game from his recliner.  He enjoyed playing horseshoes, bowling, softball, pool and ping pong as well as mowing lawn in the sun and relaxing on the pontoon boat on Whitewater Lake with an icy beverage.

He is survived by his wife, Janet; 2 daughters, Lisa (Paul) Pope of Clinton, WI and Mindy Carlson of Janesville, WI; his brothers, Michael (Julia) Carlson of Whitewater and James (Sally) Carlson of Boca Raton, Florida; 2 step-daughters, Amy (Pat) Keelty of Fort Atkinson, WI and Katie (Bob) Vaughan of Frankfort, Illinois and 7 grandchildren, Carli and Peyton Pope, Jimmy, Paddy and Evie Keelty, and Charlie and Vinny Vaughan.  He was preceded in death by his parents, LeRoy and Loretta (Hansen) Carlson and son-in-law Paul Pope.

We want to send a huge thank you to our Care Wisconsin team, Marquardt Hospice and all the staff at Sunset Ridge for treating LeRoy with respect and tenderness during his last months.  Friends of LeRoy are invited to share hugs and happy memories with his family at the Whitewater Lion’s Club on Whitewater Lake on August 4, 2018 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Fort Atkinson, WI assisted the family.