The Rotary Club of West Marin is heartbroken to have lost a beloved member, Richard Carson. Richard joined the club on July 1, 2011, and served as our sergeant at arms. He took his responsibilities seriously! All remember his deliberate, formal manner as he delivered "Words of Wisdom" at our meetings. He arrived with a set of typed three-by-five cards, each with a quotation on a theme of Richard’s choosing.
One of the most collegial traditions of our small club is that meetings begin with a happy or sad “check-in” of each member. In late 2021, Richard acquired a young Rough Coated Collie. From then on, most of Richard’s check-ins recounted the puppy’s accomplishments, adventures … and mischief.
RICHARD BURNS CARSON
DECEMBER 6, 1944 - DECEMBER 10, 2022
WORDS OF WISDOM
When he took on the role of presenting "words of wisdom" at the beginning of meetings, he typed each quote on an index card. It was a special touch from a remarkable man.
–Michele Clein, Charter President. President 2002 - 2007, 2016 - 2017
Richard would cite "Words of Wisdom" quotations from famous people. They were always profound and often humorous. His intelligent insights, humor, and the love he showed for all of us will be greatly missed. –Charles Nichol
“Richard was always the first to arrive at our Wednesday morning meetings, driving in from Berkeley and helping to set up the tables, chairs, banner, flag, and bell. He would then settle into his New York Times and coffee, reading the headlines to those who arrived early and welcoming discussion. ”
“My favorite memories with Richard were the personal deliveries of Rotary Dictionaries to third graders at the Bolinas-Stinson School. Richard engaged each student he met in a brief but warm conversation about the Dictionary gift, making it a special occasion. ”
“Richard and I shared a love of dogs. This common interest prompted many conversations about dog breeds and their care and friendship. Richard finally found the dog of his dreams, a beautiful Rough Coated Collie named “Douglas.” When I met Douglas, he was a seven-month-old puppy with an intelligent, even-tempered nature, directly influenced by his life with Richard. Douglas now lives in Northern California in a home that adores him.”
Richard wrote several books and plays and seemed to have read all the rest. He distributed dictionaries to Third Grade students in West Marin schools and organized the paperback books for the Oakland Museum “White Elephant Sale.”
Not enough to be knowledgeable in all things literary, automotive, and canine, Richard was also an enthusiastic cook. We remember him with his recipe for Curried Pea and Corn Salad, which he reliably delivered to club events and potlucks.
“I think back to the privilege Richard’s friendship provided to enter the Oakland Museum White Elephant sale on a preview day! I was outfitting our house in West Marin to be a place to entertain, so I focused on serving pieces and other housewares. I got some beautiful items, and today, those are my “Richard got these for me!” items. ”
REMEMBERING RICHARD
“My memories of Richard Carson center on all things literary. He loved books, history, and the classics. He always seemed to have simple tastes focused on the most important things in our busy world. ”