Esther B. Carlson
Esther B. Carlson (Heyt), age 89, of Westfield passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, surrounded by her loving family in her home of 62 years.
She was born on April 1, 1935, to J. William and Lucelia (Badgley) Heyt, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and remained a loyal Wolverine. She enjoyed lifelong friendships with her Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sisters and her classmates from East Grand Rapids High.
Esther met the love of her life, Dean Carlson, as a freshman at Michigan and they were married shortly after graduation, beginning their life together in San Francisco, where she worked at Shriners Hospital for Children while he completed his medical internship. They moved to Westfield in 1962, where she devoted her energy and intellect to raising five children.
Esther instilled her love of nature, art and literature in her family. She was first in line for tickets to see the Met’s “ Treasures of Tutankhamun” and was an avid fan of the Olympics, attending two games. She may well have invented the T-shirt quilt, having sewn the first of several as graduation gifts for her children in 1976. She had a keen eye for antiques and spent many happy hours browsing thrift shops and estate sales.
She was actively involved in the Grant School community and was PTO president of Roosevelt Junior High School in the early 1970s. A lifelong Congregationalist, she served on the pulpit committee and taught Sunday School at the First Congregational Church of Westfield. She made lasting friendships through the College Woman’s Club of Westfield and the Westfield Service League and volunteered with the Fresh Air Fund, hosting children over multiple summers.
Esther loved to drive her station wagon, making two cross-country trips and regular visits to Michigan, Florida and New England. She enjoyed world travel to Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and South America, as well as a 50th wedding anniversary voyage on the Queen Mary. Mostly she cherished her time surrounded by family, friends and her beloved dog, Maizie, at their summer camp on Lake Androscoggin in Wayne, Maine. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Dean L. Carlson, M.D.; her children, Elizabeth O’Neil (Richard), Ralph Carlson, Jennifer Jaruzelski (Barry), Kathleen Norwine (Mark) and Anne Carlson-Moore (Tom), and her brother, John Heyt. She was a devoted Mimi to her 10 grandchildren, Anne, Sarah and Richard O’Neil, Katharine and Alison Jaruzelski, Emily and Mary Norwine, and Holly, William and Juliet Moore; and three great-grandchildren, Natalie and Joseph Follo and Jillian Pentler.
Esther had a strong moral compass throughout her life. Her desk was lined with favorite quotes, proverbs and axioms, including: “Act for the best, hope for the best, and take what comes” (James Fitzjames Stephen) and “Carpe Diem.”
A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church, 125 Elmer Street, Westfield, on Saturday, December 7, at noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fresh Air Fund or the College Woman’s Club of Westfield.
Arrangements are by the Gray Funeral Home of Westfield.
December 5, 2024
