Richard Michael Carlson – Monongahela

Richard Michael Carlson, 53, of Monongahela, died Sunday, March 8, 2020, at home. He was born Dec. 21, 1966, in Joliet, Ill., the son of Vaughn “Butch” and Linda Fultz Carlson of Monongahela. Rich was a gifted musician who saved his money from his paper route to pay for guitar lessons while still in middle school. He went on to create his own sound effects when he could not afford to buy equipment. He was playing in bands before audiences by the time he was in high school and booking his own gigs. His need for better electronics and sound quality lead him to a career in electronics engineering. Music was Rich’s first love but he also excelled in sports, playing baseball and football from Pop Warner and Little League all the way to high school. By high school, music had pretty much absorbed all of his free time. Rich was born in Joliet, Ill., but spent his youth in Lockport, Ill., attending Walsh Elementary, Lockport High School and Joliet Junior College. After graduating with an associate of science degree, he was recruited by Visolux Electronics in Illinois and eventually in Charlotte, N.C. He moved on from Visolux to form his own company, Viassi LLC. After becoming ill in 2013, he dismantled his company and moved his son Michael to Pennsylvania to be closer to his family. While recuperating, he went back to school at CCAC and received another associate of science degree, this time with a specialty of mechatronics technology. Somewhere along the line, five and a half years ago, we were all blessed when Rich met the love of his life, Michelle Pisarski. She and her two children, Gabby and Devin, brought a new joy and meaning to his life. Rich succumbed to a rare form of bone marrow cancer, Myelofibrosis. For this reason, he chose to become a body donor in the hopes that medical research performed on his organs might find an answer to save another person from the ravages of this disease in the future. In addition to his parents, Rich is survived by his son, Michael Carlson of Monongahela; fiancée, Michelle Pisarski of Connellsville; three sisters, Cynthia Fields of New Salem, Kimberly Hancock and husband James of Charleroi and  Heather Florenz and husband Les of Monongahela; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother, Robert Allen Carlson, who died Aug. 28, 2017. Friends will be received from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14, 2020, at FRYE FUNERAL HOME INC., 427 W. Main St., Monongahela, where a celebration of life will be held at 7 p.m. with the Elder Robert Nicklow officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date in the family plot at Wesley Cemetery, Wilmington, Ill. Memorial contributions to the MPN Research Foundation, mpnresearchfoundation.org, would be appreciated by his family. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fryefuneralhome.com.