Stephen Carlsen's Obituary
Stephen Erling Carlsen, age 72, of University Place, WA, passed away
peacefully on March 13, 2025, surrounded by his family.
Born on February 18, 1953, in Minneapolis, MN, Steve was the first-born son
of Erling and June Beverly Carlsen, and big brother of Nathan, Brian, Eric,
and Matthew Carlsen. He was known for his brilliant mind, musicianship,
willingness to help others, generosity, quirkiness, adventurous spirit,
hard-working nature, and kind heart.
Steve was a pioneer in the software industry and left many lasting legacies in
the world of computer science; he was the inventor of the TIFF file format,
was on the first development team for Aldus Pagemaker, and held many
patents and awards from his decades working in the computer industry at
Aldus in its naissance and then Adobe when the companies later merged.
The greater part of Steve’s childhood years was spent in Cumberland and
Neenah, Wisconsin. He was a dedicated student, National Merit Scholar,
athlete, and graduated summa cum laude and at the top of his class of 504
students at Neenah High School. He was a favorite of staff and faculty alike
and was noted by his principal to be “one of the finest gentlemen I’ve had the
opportunity to know during my 19 years as an educator.” He also found time
to be a dedicated Boy Scout, receiving both the Eagle Scout medal and the
Pro Deo et Patria award.
After graduating from high school, Steve attended Augsburg College from
1971-1975. He joined an LYE team, and there he met Peggy Ellingsen in
1973. They were married on June 7, 1975. After he graduated from
Augsburg, Steve and Peggy moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where he started
seminary at Wartburg Seminary. Next, they moved to Bozeman, MT, and
Steve started graduate school at Montana State University in January of 1976,
and Peggy and Steve started their family in Bozeman in May 1977.
After graduate school, Steve pursued a career in mathematics and computer
programming. He and Peggy and their daughter Kristin moved to Burnsville,
MN, then to Columbia Heights, where Kimberly was born, and then to Eden
Prairie, where Bethany was born. Steve worked for Search Institute,
Honeywell, CPT, and DMI during these years, and was respected for his
keen ability to write innovative software.
In 1986, the family moved to Issaquah, WA, when Aldus Corp. of Seattle
recruited Steve as one of the pioneering brains in the software industry. Steve
worked many years for Aldus and later Adobe, and made a tremendous
impact and lasting legacy in the computer science industry (Wikipedia page
coming soon). Peggy and Steve divorced in 2002.
Steve had a deep love for music and was an extremely talented and dedicated
musician, namely in classical piano and singing in various choirs and musical
groups over the years, but also trumpet and guitar. He was known for being
“wowed” by Bach Preludes and Fugues (or really anything Bach!) and being
a baritone in the choir with the gift (or curse?) of perfect pitch. He loved
Bach because of its strong mathematical themes; Bach seemed to make
perfect sense to him, and he could sit at the piano working out a particularly
difficult passage until he could play it perfectly. He inspired all 3 of his
daughters to play classical piano and sing, and was their first piano teacher.
At home, Steve either had music in his headphones or blasting loudly in the
living room, and he had a wonderfully eclectic passion for various types of
music. He instilled this deep passion for music in the rest of his family.
He also loved trips to the ocean and especially tide pooling on the Great
Pacific Northwest Coast. He kept on top of when the lowest tides of the year
would be and timed his tide pooling visits accordingly. He was fond of
watching hummingbirds, was a fantastic amateur photographer, and he loved
a great thunderstorm! He taught all three daughters to drive a stick (with
unending patience!).
Stephen is survived by his daughters Kristin (Tom), Kimberly (Alex), and
Bethany Carlsen (Greer), his grandchildren Aine, Théo, Colette, Fern, and
Olin, and his brothers Nathan (Nan), Brian (Jolanta), Eric (Laurie), and
Matthew (Akiko).
Steve didn’t wish to have a memorial service in his honor, but a celebration
of life was held in person while he was still with us in Tacoma, WA on March
11, 2025. Family, friends, and loved ones are encouraged to share memories
or anecdotes here about our beloved Steve.
“Time flies like the wind.
Fruit flies like bananas.”
“What’s the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything? 42.”
What’s your fondest memory of Stephen?
What’s a lesson you learned from Stephen?
Share a story where Stephen's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Stephen you’ll never forget.
How did Stephen make you smile?