Ken was born in Seattle on May 20, 1924, the second child of Norwegian immigrants, Gustav and Borghild Carlsen (Borghild Ringdall). He grew up in the Highland area of Bellevue, along 156th, when it mainly consisted of farms and dirt roads. His father died when he was young and his mother sold eggs to support his family. He graduated from Bellevue High School in 1942, where he was active in sports, playing baseball and football.
In 1943, during his first quarter in college, Ken was drafted. He was proud to serve his country during World War II as a member in the Army Air Corps, stationed in the Asiatic Pacific Theater. He was stationed on New Caledonia and he recently told a grandson that it took over 6 months for the Army to come get him after the war was over.
Ken returned to Bellevue and in 1948, Ken married Dorothy Boston, at Highland Covenant Church in Bellevue. They had their wedding reception in the log Highland grange, now the Highland Community Center.
Ken graduated from University of Washington School of Pharmacy. After Al Thompson’s retirement he and a partner purchased “Thompson Drug” which was then located in the open-air Bellevue Square. Eventually, Thompson’s moved next door to the first QFC store in Bellevue Village. When Thompson’s was purchased by Bartell Drug in [1996], it has been in business for 50 years and was the oldest member of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. Ken was well known in Bellevue as a kind, gracious and humorous gentlemen who knew and liked practically everyone.
Ken was passionate for Husky Football. He rarely missed a home game, and he had a sizeable number of purple sweatshirts and baseball hats. He loved to travel with family and friends, from fishing trips to remote rivers in Alaska, to exotic adventure cruises around the world, to visiting relatives in Norway
Ken was a charter and life long member of Highland Covenant Church. Ken lived his later years at Covenant Shores with many of the friends he made at Highland Covenant Church. We wish to thank Covenant Shores for their wonderful care and dedication to him.
Ken was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, his infant son, Ronald, and sister, Geneve Hutchison. He is survived by his children, Kenneth J Carlsen, Richard C. Carlsen (Serena), David W. Carlsen (Vicky) and Lori Carlsen. He also leaves seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
There will be a memorial Service at Highland Covenant Church in Bellevue on April 6, 2013 at 2:00 pm.
Please sign the guestbook at www.sunsethillsfuneralhome.com
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