Lil Carlson Lil Carlson (Laguna Lil), a...

Lil Carlson

Lil Carlson (Laguna Lil), a long-time resident of Laguna Beach,

died Feb. 11 in Bellingham, Wash. She was born in Chicago in 1914.

In 1974 Mrs. Carlson and her husband, Frank, retired to Laguna

Beach after a long career in Southern California as union organizers.

They found an apartment overlooking the ocean and were known locally

as “the old couple that played Frisbee every afternoon on the beach.”

After her husband’s death in 1979, Mrs. Carlson became a traveler,

visiting China, Peru, Zimbabwe and most of Europe and the United

States. A voracious reader, she made a practice of passing on her

latest book to anyone who expressed an interest.

She was a musician, who taught piano to a generation of local

children. One rarely entered her house without hearing classical

music on the radio. She was frequently in the audience at concerts,

plays and movies.

For the last 25 years Mrs. Carlson danced with the Laguna

Folkdancers every Sunday. She would often bring friends in order to

introduce them to the wonderful rhythms and sounds of the ethnic

music. She would invite in passersby who happened to look in at the

door.

She is survived by a daughter Jeanne Carlson; her sister, Esther

Silver; and two grandchildren, Elena and Antonio Aguilar. Along with

her husband, she was preceded in death by her eldest daughter, Linda

Aguilar.

A dance in Mrs. Carlson’s memory will be held by the Laguna

Folkdancers at 7 p.m. March 30 at the Community Center, a.k.a. Legion

Hall, 384 Legion St.

Hilda Shaylor

Laguna resident Hilda Shaylor died Feb. 13 in Laguna Beach. She

was 81.

Ms. Shaylor was a survivor of many health crises, an avid traveler

who covered much of the globe (94 countries!). She spent 50 years in

the field of nursing practicing 20 years in South Africa.

In Laguna Beach, Hilda was a Docent at the Laguna Beach Art

Museum, a founding member of the Laguna Beach Traveling Kitchens and

an energetic body surfer. She could be seen swimming at Divers Cove

every day from May through September until last June when surgery to

remove a spinal growth was unsuccessful.

Our loving thanks to family and friends who rallied to support

Hilda in her courageous final days.

Ms. Shaylor is survived by her step-mother, Audrey Beare; her

brother, Eric Beare; and her three daughters, Linda Cooper of Laguna

Beach, Trish Billings of San Diego and Terry Rudd of Chino Hills.

A party to honor Hilda’s memory will be held at the home of her

daughter Linda from noon to 5 p.m. March 2 at 3186 Alta Laguna Blvd.

in Laguna Beach. All her friends are welcome. For information call

Trish (858) 488-4516 or e-mail at [email protected]