CARLSON, Robert F Jr

August 5, 1952 - April 14, 2003

Rob died in an airplane accident in southern Mexico. He was born in
Glendale CA, the eldest child of Robert F and Nancy Claybrook
Carlson. The family moved to Santa Barbara in 1956. Rob attended
Washington and Vieja Valley elementary, La Colina Jr High, and San
Marcos High schools. He and his brother Harvey were Boy Scouts in
Troop 1.

Rob loved to read Popular Mechanics, and was generally in the midst
of designing, building, or learning all about something big. When he
was in Kindergarten, he was entrusted with setting up the film
projector for all the classrooms. Even while enjoying one of the
family's many backpacking, skiing or kayaking trips, he might amuse
himself with mental plans for, say, a personal jetpack. He was an
enthusiastic ham radio operator, trombone player and amateur cook.

During his high school years, Rob had lead roles in Youth Theater
summer musicals. At fifteen, he persisted his way into a job reading
the hourly news at KDB, and later worked as a DJ there. After one
year of German class, Rob spent his junior year in Germany, where he
won a DJ contest, but gave the prize - a trip to the USA - to the
runner-up. He graduated from San Marcos in January 1970, and went to
UC Berkeley that fall.

At Berkeley, Rob served as a campus police officer while earning his
BA (1976) in Environmental Science. He returned to Santa Barbara, and
worked at Sonatech, one of the Channel Technologies (CTI) companies,
for several years. He learned to fly at the Santa Barbara airport,
and was a devoted participant in improv theater.

Rob received an MBA from Harvard in 1986. He went to work for Beech
Aircraft in Wichita Kansas, first as a corporate planner, and then as
director of BeechPower. While in Kansas, he became an accomplished
hot air balloon pilot and builder.

In 1991, Rob moved to Massachusetts to become president and CEO of
SeaBeam Instruments (later Harris Acoustic Products), a CTI company.
Two years later, he also became president/CEO of Ocean Data Equipment
Corporation, a CTI firm in Rhode Island.

Rob traveled all over the world on business, and was pleased to have
flown the same kite in both Tian An Men Square and Red Square. Still
he found time for many creative adventures. He enjoyed restoring and
sailing a late 19th century Danish two-masted coalier in which he
owned a share. Rob also worked as a business consultant, and
occasionally taught classes at Harvard Business School. He was active
in the Navy League, and in chapters of the Young Presidents
Organization and World Presidents Organization on both coasts.

Rob was a passionate owner and skilled pilot of Grumman HU16
Albatross seaplanes. As the New England Field Director for the
Pilot's Seaplane Association, and as a dedicated member of the
Warbird Society of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the
Grumman albatross community, he labored to resurrect, refurbish and
preserve these amphibious planes. During the last few years he was
working to establish a tourist air carrier in the Caribbean area.

Rob is survived by his wife Margaret Ann and son Robby; his daughter
Shauna; his mother, father, and stepmother Betsy; his sister Apieh
Claybrook and her husband Joe Magazino; his niece Cristina Gielow and
her husband Ryan; his grandmother Priscilla Claybrook; his seven
aunts and uncles, thirteen cousins, and many devoted friends. His
brother Harvey predeceased him in 1994.

Rob said that he wanted his epitaph to read: Ta da! (Don't try this
at home.)

A memorial service for Rob will be held at 1 pm on Sunday, April 27
at Lion's Park, 6197 Casitas Pass Road, Carpinteria CA, and a service
is pending for May 9 in Boston MA.