Terry Fred Carlson

Terry Fred Carlson November 20, 1961 - March 7, 2025 Terry Fred Carlson passed away peacefully on March 7th, 2025, surrounded by his wife and daughter after a long battle with brain cancer. Terry was born on November 20th, 1961, in Rockford, Illinois, the oldest of four to Fred and Connie Carlson. From an early age, he developed a deep love for agriculture, but it was his caring nature, sense of humor, and kind heart that truly defined him. After graduating from Jefferson High School, Terry attended Kishwaukee College, where he studied agriculture, farm management, and animal husbandry. He raised hogs and grew corn, soybeans, and wheat. He was a dedicated member of the Winnebago County Pork Producers Association and Winnebago Young Farmers Association. After working in agriculture, he furthered his education by earning his bachelor's degree and MBA from Rockford University. He then spent a decade at Nylint Toys before joining the video game industry. He married the love of his life, Danielle Gaubert, in 1995 and subsequently moved to California. Shortly after, they were blessed with their beautiful daughter, Jessica. Terry enjoyed many summers in Eagle River, WI, and Lake Tahoe, NV. Outside of traveling, Terry loved to golf, hunt, ride his bike around Menlo Park, and stay up-to-date on the price of corn by never missing an episode of RFD-TV. One of Terry’s favorite passions was spending time in his garden. If he wasn’t planting new flowers, mowing the lawn, or tending to his many fruit trees and roses, you could find him swimming in the pool after a long day in the sun. Every morning, he loved walking the dogs around the block, greeting neighbors with a big smile. After 25 years, Terry retired from Namco Hometek, which later became Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BNEA) in 2022. He took great pride in his career and loved to say, “I worked for Pac-Man.” He was proud of his Swedish heritage and served on the board of the Swedish Historical Society of Rockford. In 2023, Terry was diagnosed with Glioblastoma. Throughout his battle with cancer, he was constantly met with love, support, and prayers. His unwavering strength, faith, and determination to fight were an inspiration to many people in and outside of the brain tumor community. Terry's legacy lives on through “Terry’s Tribe,” a community dedicated to honoring his life. His memory will be celebrated every year at Head for the Cure’s 5k in San Francisco and through Jessica’s advocacy work for brain tumor awareness. Terry’s kindness, resilience, and love for his family and friends will be forever cherished. He is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years, Danielle; daughter, Jessica; mother, Connie; brothers, Timothy (Tammy) & Daniel (Molly) Carlson; and his nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Frederick Carlson; and sister, Valerie Ann Woods. Our family would like to extend a sincere thank you to Terry’s medical team at UCSF for prolonging his life and for their dedication to researching Glioblastoma. A special thank you to our caregiver, JR, for always making us laugh and bringing light to the darkest days. A private burial will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Terry’s name to: The UCSF Brain Tumor Research Fund OR Terry’s Tribe Fundraiser for Head for the Cure