The conservative world mourns the loss of Richard 'Dick' Warner Carlson, father of renowned conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson, who passed away at the age of 84.
The news was shared by Tucker Carlson in a heartfelt post on Wednesday, revealing that his father had succumbed to a six-week illness at his home in Boca Grande, Florida.
"He refused all painkillers to the end and left this world with dignity and clarity, holding the hands of his children with his dogs at his feet," Carlson wrote, painting a poignant picture of his father's final moments.
According to the Daily Mail, Richard Carlson was a distinguished figure in the conservative landscape, having served as the US ambassador to Seychelles under the George H. W. Bush administration in the early 1990s. Prior to this, he had served under President Ronald Reagan as the director of Voice of America, marking a significant career in conservative governments.
Before his political career, Richard Carlson was a reporter, demonstrating his commitment to the dissemination of information and the pursuit of truth. An obituary shared by Tucker Carlson revealed that the elder Carlson spent the last 25 years of his life engaged in work that was "clearly interesting," even if the details remained somewhat elusive to his family.
"He spoke to his sons every day and had lunch with them once a week for thirty years at the Metropolitan Club in Washington, always prefaced by a dice game. Throughout his life he fervently loved dogs," the obituary further stated, providing a glimpse into the personal life of this influential figure. Richard Carlson is survived by his two sons and five grandchildren.
Tucker Carlson, who grew up in Southern California, has often spoken about the profound influence his father had on his life and career. A biography by Chadwick Moore titled "Tucker" reveals that Richard Carlson believed in exposing his children to the realities of his work from an early age. This included taking them to work events, dinners, and even a murder investigation, fostering a sense of curiosity and understanding of the world around them.
"Once when they were five and six, they went along for a Sunday dinner at the San Fernando Valley home of Eddie Cannizzaro, a notorious mobster and the prime suspect in a 1947 Beverly Hills mafia hit," the biography recounts. Tucker Carlson described his father as a "wonderful, committed" parent who nurtured independence in his children by exposing them to a variety of experiences.
Richard Carlson's life was not without its challenges. In 1976, he divorced the mother of his children, Lisa McNear Lombardi, and moved from Los Angeles to San Diego with his sons. He cited his ex-wife's substance abuse as the reason for seeking full custody of their children. Lisa remained in Los Angeles and had her last encounter with Tucker when he was six years old. She passed away from cancer in 2011.
Despite these hardships, the Carlson family found stability in San Diego, particularly in the affluent seaside area of La Jolla. Here, Richard Carlson met and married his neighbor, Patricia Swanson, the heiress to a prominent American frozen dinner company. This marked a new chapter in the Carlson family's life, one that would shape Tucker Carlson's future in the world of conservative media.
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