Columbus
Thief River Falls Times
Roddy Carlson, 75
Sioux Falls, SD - Roddy Dean Carlson, age 75, passed away on Monday, June 12, 2023 at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Roddy was born on March 24, 1948, to Robert and Vivian (Engelstad) Carlson in Thief River Falls, where he grew up and attended Lincoln High School, graduating in 1966. Roddy then attended Northland Community and Technical College. He enlisted into the Air Force in 1967, serving a tour in Vietnam in 1968. Roddy earned a Bronze Star with V for Valor. He was honorably discharged in 1971. Roddy then moved to Minneapolis and attended the Brown Institute. Roddy moved to Brookings, SD for a year before settling down in Sioux Falls in 1973. He started his cable television career in Brookings before working for Sioux Falls Cable TV, which later became Midcontinent. There he was a General Manager and later became the Vice President of Government Affairs and Community Relations. Roddy began working for Sanford Health in 2007 as the Director of Public Affairs. He retired in July of 2014, however, he did not stay retired for long. In 2015 he began working part-time as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Active Generations. Roddy married the love of his life, Joanne Mary Bruggeman, on July 25, 1969, in Thief River Falls. The couple had three children; Angie, Sara, and Erik. There was nothing more important to Roddy than his family, and he treasured the time he was able to spend with them. Roddy was also an avid sportsman, enjoying golf and hockey. He was competitive with his fantasy football leagues, and he always rooted for the Minnesota Vikings. As a season ticket holder, he made it a tradition to attend many home games, as well as go to the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournaments every year. Roddy was passionate about giving back to his community. One of Roddy’s biggest highlights was receiving the prestigious Sales and Marketing Executive of the Year award in 2018. He loved Sioux Falls and wanted to be remembered as a person who really strove to make it a better place. He was a positive person who loved life and put service above himself, and in that regard, he never felt like he could do enough to help people. Roddy was a member of St. John American Lutheran Church and was the President of the Church Council for a time. He was a member of the Downtown Rotary Club and the Sales and Marketing Executives. Roddy served on the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Chair Board and was part of the Sioux Falls Chamber Ambassadors. He was proud to be a part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and served on the board of the Sioux Falls Air Show. Roddy was on the Kilian Community College Board of Trustees, the Sioux Falls and Parking Advisory Board, part of the Sioux Falls Human Relations Commission, the Sioux Falls Jaycees, and the Turning Point Board for Volunteers of America. He was on the Junior Achievement Board and the Junior Achievement State Board. Roddy was a campaign chair for the United Way and a member of Ducks Unlimited. Roddy also thoroughly enjoyed his membership to the Westward Ho Country Club. Grateful to have shared Roddy’s life with him are his children, Angela (Tory) Chalmers, Erik (Brooke) Carlson, and Sara (Ross) Anderson; his eight grandchildren; and his sister, Lori (Mike) Carpenter. Roddy is preceded in death by his wife, Joanne Carlson; and his parents, Robert and Vivian Carlson. A funeral service was held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at St. John American Lutheran Church (1912 W. 13th St., Sioux Falls, SD). Family were present from 4–6 p.m. on Monday, June 19, 2023 at Miller Funeral Home – Southside Chapel (7400 S. Minnesota Ave., Sioux Falls, SD). Roddy believed in giving back, so to honor his memory, his family requests that memorials be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association, instead of flowers. A00003B2023JN21.
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