On July 15, 2020, Carl Magnusson passed away surrounded by his family. Carl was 62 years old.

Carl was the only child of Naomi and Paul Magnusson, born on June 25, 1958 in Palo Alto, Calif.

Carl attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, then transferred to UC Berkeley, where he graduated with a degree in physical science in 1981. There, Carl met Mindy Agler, and they married in 1981. They lived in Oakland, Calif. in an intentional community with a group of friends who were, in his words, “subverting the dominant paradigm.”

Carl and Mindy had their daughter, Sara, in 1988, and moved to Whidbey Island, Wash., soon thereafter. It was here that Carl began his design and contracting business. Carl’s craftsmanship has touched the lives of so many, his personality speaking though the homes he built.

Carl and Kimmer Morris found each other in 2001, and together have left a lasting mark on the Whidbey arts community.

Carl’s imprint on the community on Whidbey will be remembered by all of us. From rolling a 12-foot Easter Island head he created down the Maxwelton parade, to speeding (sometimes flaming) down First street in the Soup Box Derby, Carl always found ways to express himself through art.

Carl leaves behind his partner, Kimmer Morris; daughter, Sara Magnusson; mother, Naomi Magnusson; and a community of hundreds on Whidbey Island who he held so close.

Due to the pandemic, there is no memorial service planned at this time, but a celebration of his life may be scheduled at a later time if the situation permits.