Amherst – David Russell Carlson, 83, of Amherst, passed away Sunday November 17, 2019, at his home surrounded by his loving family, following a long illness.

David was born on December 2, 1935, in Norwood, MA to the late Fred Alphons and Astrid Elizabeth (Peterson) Carlson. He graduated from Norwood High School in 1953. He graduated with honors from Upsala College in East Orange, NJ, in 1957. He met his wife, Mary Ellen Backels, at Upsala, and they were married on August 23, 1958 at the First Congregational Church in Waterbury, VT.

David and Mary lived in East Orange, NJ and moved to Lindsborg, KS, finally settling in Amherst in 1964. David’s career was rooted in higher education, first as Dean of Students at Upsala College, Dean of Admissions at Bethany College, and then Professor of English at Springfield College where he taught for 36 years until his retirement in 2003. He was a favorite professor and mentor to many Springfield College students.

David earned his PhD in Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts in 1973. His fields of research were the common speech of Boston, the history and structure of the English Language, and Medieval Literature. He was field researcher and contributor to The Dictionary of American Regional English, a member of the Linguistic Atlas Project, and served on the Board of the American Dialect Society.

David’s contributions to the Amherst community include a long tenure as Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals. He identified improvements to the downtown area including the Bangs Community Center, the Carriage Shops and other building development projects. He and his neighbors formed a wetlands protection advocacy group to promote conservation in town neighborhoods.

A life-long Lutheran, he was proud of the fact that his childhood church was founded in the living room of his grandparents’ house. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst where he held several positions of leadership. He was on Immanuel’s first council, and chaired the property and space utilization committees, and the building expansion project. In addition to his contributions at the local level, David served on the New England Synod Council.

David loved golf, sports, his family, and his dogs. Golfing was one of David’s greatest passions. He was a long-time member of the Amherst Golf Club, where he played with the Legends and attained a hole-in-one. His friends will remember his dry wit and love for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics. Ever devoted to his family, he cared for his wife, Mary, during her final illness, and was always quietly supportive, cooking the family dinners, providing advice, and leaving the porch light on so we could find our way home in the dark. He always had a pet dog, and his faithful dog Eddie was at his side at his passing.

David was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Mary, and his sister, Betty (Carlson) Boaz. He is survived by his children, Kathryn, of Hadley, Daniel and his wife Carolyn, of Litchfield, CT, Claire and her husband Jack Czajkowski, of Hadley, and Peter Augustus “Gus” Carlson and his wife Jessica Carlson-Belanger, of Shutesbury; five grandchildren: Hilary, Andrew, Mary, Peter and Anna; his brothers, Fred Carlson and his wife Shirley, of Kingsport, TN, and Neil Carlson and his wife Marilyn of Lake Suzy, FL; and many nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, November 21 from 4:00 to 7:00pm at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst, MA. The funeral service will be held on Friday, November 22 at 10:00am at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Amherst, MA, followed by burial at Wildwood Cemetery. There will be a reception at Immanuel Lutheran Church immediately following the burial.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 N. Pleasant St, Amherst, MA 01002.