The Reverend Philip L. Carlson
Philip Lawrence Carlson was born in Moline, IL on June 2, 1939, to Lawrence and Ruth Carlson, people of faith and loving, caring parents. They were the foundation upon which Phil built and lived his life until his death on September 4, 2023, after a long battle with a blood disorder, Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).
Building on the foundation laid by his parents, Phil made the most of opportunities he received at Moline High School, in the Boy Scouts, at his church, and as a student at Illinois Wesleyan University (B.S., 1961) and Garrett Theological Seminary (M.Div., 1965). He credited those who mentored and supported him throughout those experiences with fostering his life-long love of learning.
Phil was privileged to serve as a student and then an ordained minister in The United Methodist Church. Leaving the ministry in 1972, he worked in criminal justice and city government before starting a career in not-forprofit management as President and CEO of the Peoria (IL) Area Chamber of Commerce and then of the Scottsdale (AZ) Area Chamber of Commerce. Along the way, Phil also served on the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (“ACCE”) Board and as an ACCE Pension and Insurance Trust Trustee, and was awarded an ACCE Life Membership.
Civic involvement was always important to Phil. Having moved to Scottsdale, AZ in 1989, he was proud to be a long-time member of the Scottsdale Charros, a non-profit group of business and civic leaders serving the Scottsdale community. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Artist’s School and the Illinois and Arizona Associations of Chamber Executives. He also served on the boards of the Arizona Humanities Council, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, the Scottsdale Healthcare Quality Committee and the Scottsdale/ Paradise Valley YMCA, and served on the Saint Barnabas Vestry.
In May of this year, Phil was honored with induction into the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame by the Past Presidents Council of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce.
Following his retirement from the Chamber in 2002, Phil prepared for and was ordained in The Episcopal Church. He said the most fulfilling years of his life were those spent as an Associate Priest at Saint Barnabas on the Desert
Episcopal Church in Scottsdale, where “Fr. Phil” served from 2002 until his retirement in 2015. A kind, caring, and compassionate pastor and friend, Phil formed immediate and lasting bonds with everyone who knew him.
The greatest joy in Phil’s life was his family. In 1983 he married Bonnie, the love of his life. From the beginning, Bonnie loved Phil’s children and their spouses and children as her own, and they loved her back. Over the forty years of their beautiful life together, Phil and Bonnie enjoyed every moment spent making cherished memories with their family, and Phil was extremely proud of them all.
An avid reader throughout his life, Phil was delighted to share that passion with his family and friends, organizing a men’s book club that has been meeting regularly since 2016. He was an unabashed political and news junkie, who read three newspapers every morning. Phil said, “I am a firm believer in the old adage that the man who knows only one side of a story knows very little.”
Another avocation Phil loved to share with his family and friends was cooking. He was a wonderful chef, who reveled in preserving and passing on to his children and grandchildren the culinary traditions of his Swedish heritage, especially the Christmas Eve smorgasbord celebrated every year of his life since childhood. In 1988, as a Christmas gift to his children, Phil compiled a cookbook of favorite recipes, including those his maternal grandparents had brought with them from Sweden. He titled the collection, “Enjoy!: A Collection of Menus, Recipes and Thoughts.”
Phil was predeceased by his parents, Lawrence and Ruth Carlson and is survived by his wife, Bonnie; his son, Brian Carlson (Kimberley) of Brooklyn, NY; his daughter, Barbara Kalwajtys (Raymond) of Elmwood Park, IL, and their children, his grandchildren, Veronica Kalwajtys of Forest Park, IL, and Michael Kalwajtys of Lansing, MI; and his brother, Dr. Kenneth Carlson of Clinton, IA.
A service celebrating Phil’s life will be held on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 11:00am, at Saint Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church, 6715 North Mockingbird Lane, Scottsdale, AZ 85254. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Scottsdale Charro Foundation (charros.com) or the Saint Barnabas Friends of Music (saintbarnabas.org) would be very much appreciated.