Lena Anne Carlson

Lena Anne Carlson passed away at age 89 on June 28, 2024 in a nursing home in Greenville, SC. She was born in Dublin, Georgia during the Great Depression as the first child of the late George and Christine Wynne Bowen. 

She was brilliant, earning college degrees in both Biology and Chemistry at the Georgia College for Women. After undergraduate, she studied for her master’s degree at the University of Georgia and gained her Georgia teacher’s certificate in Science. She met and married Gerald Carlson who was also a graduate student. Their first child, Jon, was born within the first year of their marriage in Boston. He had severe disabilities, and she courageously devoted her life and love to raise him and their subsequent two children. She was generous, kind, and patient. She appreciated life for all its mysteries and beauty. She read voraciously and imparted her love of knowledge and humanity to her children. She was their anchor. When she wasn’t taking care of her family directly, cooking or cleaning, she was a talented seamstress, sewing them elaborate clothes and costumes or taking care of the family pets. 

She put her family’s needs ahead of her own and loved her children unconditionally. She adored her grandchildren and strived to do all she could for them. Dementia slowly robbed her of abilities in the last decade of her life, but she remained a sweet, gentle person who was loved by all who met her in her healthcare journey. 

Lena is survived by a daughter, Lisa (Elliot); a son, Scott (Jelena); and 5 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son, Jon. 

In her memory, contributions could be made to UNICEF.

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