Obituary of Donald W. Carson

Donald W. Carson, a newsman, professor emeritus, world traveler and basketball and theater enthusiast, passed away Feb. 1, 2018, at the age of 85. His family was by his side. Don taught hundreds of students during his nearly 30 years at the University of Arizona School of Journalism, keeping in touch with many even after he retired in January 1997. He also was a reporter and associate editor for the Arizona Daily Star from 1957 to 1961 and 1967 to 1968, and was a newsman for the Associated Press in Washington, D.C., and Phoenix from 1961 to 1966. His list of accolades and community involvement is lengthy, but his family was the most important aspect of his life. He took care of his wife of 61 years, Helen, during the last several years prior to her death from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in March 2016. Following her death, he enjoyed spending time with his three grown children and their spouses, grandchildren, and long-time friends and former students. The son of Tucson homesteaders, Marian and Francis "Kit" Carson, and brother of Virgil Carson, Don always cared about others. He was an avid tennis player, who volunteered to teach the sport to underprivileged youth. He also was involved with the Arizona Daily Star Sportsmen's Fund, which has sent tens of thousands of Southern Arizona children to camp since it was founded in 1947. After his retirement, he served on the board of the Little Chapel of All Nations, served as a public member of the Arizona Supreme Court's Disciplinary Commission and on the State Bar's Board of Governors. In those latter two roles, he fought to make disciplinary records available online. Perhaps his most revolutionary move came in retirement, when he went from a lifetime of observing politics to being an activist. Beginning in 2002, he volunteered for more than a decade for Raul Grijalva, a Democrat who first won election to Arizona's third congressional district in 2002. Don also helped other candidates throughout the years and was part of the effort to eliminate the payday loan industry in 2006. Don and Helen were long-time season ticket holders to UA basketball games. They also loved the theater, attending all types of performances, from the UA to community and professional productions. They both enjoyed meeting the performers, including actress Joan Roberts, who played Laurey in the original Broadway production of Oklahoma in 1943, and Shona Lindsay, a British singer and actress who was the youngest woman to play Christine in Phantom of the Opera. They originally met on the tube when Don was teaching in London in 1990. Nine years later, Don and Helen went to a matinee performance of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which Lindsay starred in. They sent a note back stage to Lindsay, saying they'd be at the stage door if she had a moment to say hello. To their delight, she came bouncing out in her bathrobe and bare feet to say hello. They were world travelers, with Don using his skills on many occasions to travel abroad to teach others about journalism. England was just one of many locations they visited. Don was a visiting lecturer/professor in Sweden, Mexico, Bolivia and Costa Rica, and was a three-time Fulbright Scholar to Quito, Ecuador. Don and Helen loved traveling to Mazatlan and San Diego for beach vacations, but also traveled to Australia, Ireland and British Columbia. During his career, Don worked at different newspapers during the summer months, giving his family wonderful travel experiences while also keeping current on newsroom skills and technology. The family spent summers in San Diego, Denver, Los Angeles and Miami. At the UA, he served as head of the Journalism Department from 1978 to 1984. During those years and as professor from 1966 to 1996, he initiated many programs and publications, including the Pretentious Idea, Community News Service and a student exchange program with the Autonomous University of Guadalajara. One of his priorities was to diversify newsrooms. His work in that arena was recognized by such organizations as the Hispanic Professional Action Committee, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Conference of Editorial Writers. He also was involved with the Maynard Institute, the nation's top minority-oriented news organization and sponsor of the Editing Program for Minority Journalists, a summer program that was housed in its early years at the UA. He received many honors. His most recent was as an inaugural member of the UA Journalism School Hall of Fame. He is also in the Arizona Newspaper Association Hall of Fame, the Arizona Daily Wildcat Hall of Fame and the Tucson High School Hall of Fame. He co-authored a biography on Arizona Congressman Morris K. Udall with friend and fellow journalism professor, James W. Johnson. They spent hundreds of hours doing research and conducted more than 100 interviews for the book, Mo: The Life and Times of Morris K. Udall, which was published in 2001. Married in 1954 after meeting at the UA, Don and Helen had three children, Theresa Fortney (Robert), Mike Carson (Leah) and Susan Cormier (Craig); five grandchildren, Jennifer Rucker, Brian Rucker, Laura Rucker, Christina Hope and Nathan Carson; and two great-grandchildren. A funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 23 at St. Odilia Catholic Church, 7570 N. Paseo del Norte. A celebration of life will follow at 1 p.m. at Hacienda del Sol, 5501 N. Hacienda del Sol Road. Consider donations to the Donald W. Carson Concerned Media Professionals Endowment through the UA Foundation/Journalism or Don's favorite charities: Casa Maria, Community Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and Interfaith Community Services.