Carl Oslund
I
lost a brilliant collaborator, and more importantly a good friend, to cancer
very recently. It was my privilege to know and work with Carl Oslund. Over the course of the past two decades, his firm—Oslund Design—partnered
with mine (Robertson/Sherwood/Architects) on numerous projects. Carl’s world-class
talent as a designer contributed immeasurably to the success of those jobs. His
skill with branding, art direction, graphic design, and environmental graphics
brought an undeniable vitality to our work together—providing impeccably
tailored results for each and every commission.
Our
professional collaboration dated back to 2000 with the first of what would
become a series of new branches and remodeling projects for LibertyBank in
locations throughout Oregon. We later worked together to refresh the former Oldfield's Appliance store and also transform the Oregon State University men’s basketball locker room and meeting facility. Most
recently, I looked forward to teaming with Carl on the design for a new Lane
County Courthouse but alas, that opportunity to once again join forces is lost.
LibertyBank branch
Oregon State University men's basketball locker room
Carl’s
other products in partnership with Robertson/Sherwood/Architects included the
extensive remodeling of Fenton Hall on the University of Oregon campus,
graphics and signage for Jerry’s Home Improvement centers, and projects for the
Willamalane Park and Recreation District. His design approach to every one of our
collaborations was clean, functional, timeless, and yet distinctive. I would
never characterize Carl’s work as ostentatious or superfluous.
Fenton Hall, University of Oregon
Beyond
his work on projects with my office, Carl’s portfolio included a truly
remarkable list of prominent clients, among them Benneton, Nike, the National
Football League, and the United States Tennis Association. Closer to home, Carl’s
clients included EWEB, Travel Lane County, 9Wood, and the University of Oregon
Department of Athletics.
Like
me, Carl was a member of the Emerald Executive Association (EEA) here in
Eugene. It was through EEA that I came to know Carl well. I was always impressed
by his intelligence, obvious talent, endurance, and athletic prowess. True to
his Swedish roots, he was soft-spoken and disinclined to boasting (unless it
was in cheering the exploits of his alma mater, The Ohio State University). Carl was a sneaky good golfer, but
always a gracious winner. He and I enjoyed numerous conversations on wide-ranging matters including
travel, his passion for the outdoors, politics, culture, and of course design.
I
spoke with Carl over breakfast little more than a week before his passing. He
informed me of the bad news: his cancer had aggressively metastasized and the
prognosis was grim. Photographer Jon Christopher Meyers, with whom Carl shared studio
space, told me Carl was in considerable pain as the cancer ravaged his body
during the last days, necessitating a potent pain management regimen. That Carl
left us so quickly after my last conversation with him is astonishing, but merciful
in the end.
Death
is a part of life, but it’s never easy to accept death when it takes someone
you know and treasure. Everyone who knew Carl, personally and professionally,
will miss him terribly, none more so than his family, to whom I extend my sincerest condolences.
The
following is Carl’s obituary as published in the November 3 issue of The Register-Guard:
Carl J Oslund
05/30/1947 - 10/21/2019
05/30/1947 - 10/21/2019
Carl Joseph Oslund was born in Cleveland, Ohio
to Mary Ann and Carl Oslund. He joined older brothers Lawrence and William in
sharing an idyllic Midwestern childhood. He made lifelong friends, found an
early love of golf, skiing, ice skating and motorcycles, excelled at gymnastics
and graduated from Charles F. Brush High School in 1965.
He arrived at The Ohio State University with aspirations to be an art teacher. Instead, he
discovered an aptitude for the whole spectrum of visual arts and was rewarded
with a lifelong career in graphic and environmental design. He left Ohio State
with a BFA and MA in Visual Communication Design and a job at a prestigious,
established agency in Toledo, OH. He valued this experience throughout his
career but elected to move to Oregon after his marriage to first wife Mary
Holcomb, a Eugene native. They married in 1974 and welcomed daughter Liv the
following year. The family arrived in Eugene in May of 1975. Mary Oslund
founded a dance company, earning local and later national renown as a dancer,
teacher and choreographer. Carl worked as a freelance designer and founded
Oslund Design in 1977. Carl also discovered what would become a lifelong love
of running, hiking, climbing and kayaking. He ran the Butte to Butte 42
consecutive years (walked it in 2019), ran ten marathons, climbed the South
Sister every September, climbed Mt. Shasta three times and Mt. Whitney once.
For him, a perfect day could always be had playing 18 holes of golf at Tokatee
or skiing Mt. Bachelor.
Carl met his second wife Katherine Corgel in 1984. They were
engaged while in Paris for New Year's in 1985 and married in May of that year.
Their lives were blessed by the birth of daughter Claire in 1987.
Carl was beloved by his family and a wide
circle of friends. He had amazing determination and energy for his work, his
family and the endless maintenance on his 20- acre property. He tolerated the
family horses and loved the family dogs. Carl traveled widely for work and for
pleasure (though the concept of vacation was a little lost on him). He worked
at Oslund Design until the week before his death and had taken on a flexible
part time position at long time client 9Wood in Springfield, OR providing in-house
design and marketing support. He enjoyed being an employee and held his
coworkers in high esteem.
Oslund Design employed many gifted graphic
designers over 42 years. Carl always appreciated that the success of the firm
was not his alone and he was grateful for the contributions of so many talented
colleagues and to the wider community of vendors to design firms in Eugene. A
special thank you to Anna Collins, Graphic Designer and to Jon Christopher
Meyers, Photographer for their support. Please visit www.oslund.com to see a
sample of Carl's projects. Oslund Design will continue to provide design
services and honor his vision.
Carl began treatment for cancer in August of
2018. Although chemotherapy and radiation initially seemed effective, he was
diagnosed with metastatic cancer on October 1st, 2019.
He leaves behind his wife Katherine Oslund of Eugene, his
daughter Liv Oslund and his grandsons Gabrielle and Thomas of Lanciano, Italy,
his daughter Claire Oslund and her husband Marlin Mueller of Eugene, OR, his
former wife Mary Oslund of Portland, OR, his brother Lawrence (wife Marge) of
Cary, N.C. and William (wife Judythe) of Kalaheo, HI. He was a brother in law
to Mary Jane and Jim Brustman of Henderson, NV and Rich and Joan Corgel of
Manhattan Beach, CA. He was an uncle to Dawn and Larry B., Chris, Cheree,
Jennifer, Kate, Leah, John and Steffanie.
Carl was so loved and will be terribly missed
by everyone he held dear.
Carl's family will hold a Celebration of His
Life for friends and colleagues on November 13, 2019. Please contact kco@oslund.com for details.
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