Elliott Reinold Carlson, who taught chemistry at Malden High School and rose to dean of studies and assistant principal there, died peacefully in Wilmington on September 1, 2026. He was 88.
He was born on November 15, 1937 in Marathon, Iowa, the son of the Rev. Emil and Ada (Hegstrom) Carlson. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Tufts and a doctorate at Boston University, worked briefly for the MBTA, and then gave his career to Malden High. He was a licensed lay pastor in the former Lutheran Church in America and later chaired the discernment committee at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, guiding candidates for the ministry. He lived for many years in Marblehead with his wife of nearly 60 years, Ann, traveled, collected stamps and traced family history. In recent years he lived at The Fitch Home in Melrose.
He leaves his wife, Ann (Gordon) Carlson; his sister, Elizabeth Henry of New Windsor, N.Y.; his brother, H. Earl Carlson and his wife Helen of Nashua, N.H.; his sister-in-law, Marie Carlson of Manchester, Conn.; and many nieces and nephews. His brothers C. Edwin and Emil Eugene Carlson and his sister Eloise Leisk died before him.
Family and friends gather Saturday, September 5 at 10 a.m. at Waterside Cemetery, 294 West Shore Drive, Marblehead, with a funeral service at noon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 127 Summer Street, Lynnfield. The family thanks The Fitch Home, CareOne in Wilmington and the St. Paul’s community, and suggests donations to The Fitch Home, 75 Lake Avenue, Melrose, or St. Paul’s. Arrangements are by the Robinson Funeral Home, Melrose.
Compiled from information published by Robinson Funeral Home. Photograph courtesy of the family via Robinson Funeral Home. This is our own summary, not the family’s obituary; read the full obituary and leave a condolence at the funeral home’s page on Legacy.com. Corrections: we will fix any error promptly.
