Derryl James Howard Carson

Derryl Carson, age 79, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2025, after a brief illness.

Derryl is survived by his wife, Jean, son Kirk Carson, daughter Kristi Carson, and four grandchildren: Carson Kowalski, Braden Kowalski, Kieran Carson, and Alex Carson, all of Apple Valley MN, his sister Joy Mills of Ontario Canada, and a joyful abundance of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Zella Carson, and his brother, Laval Carson.

Derryl was born at Macklin, Saskatchewan, Canada on September 8, 1946. He and his wife, Jean Eggenberger, from Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, together shared 56 wonderful years of marriage. Derryl was a life-long member of the Community of Christ. His greatest love was for his family and he had an abiding love for his church family.

Derryl’s great passion was flying. He obtained his private pilot’s license when he was 16 and then worked his way through the ranks to eventually fly a Boeing 747-200. Due to a post-Viet Nam influx of experienced pilots, Derryl had to put his flying dreams on hold for a few years, during which time he worked as a police officer for the city of Edmonton. In 1978 he moved, with his family, to Apple Valley MN.

In 1982 Derryl landed a job with Goodyear Aerospace, which sent him and his family to Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia. There he managed the technical division of Goodyear’s flight simulator program. After five years, he and his family returned to Minnesota where he worked in the flight training program at Northwest Airlines. After he retired from Northwest, he started flying internationally for Southern Air and Cargo 360. He finally retired for real in 2012.

Derryl’s experiences with the airlines allowed him to visit a variety of countries throughout the world, plus fly “non-rev” for vacations with his family. When asked where his favorite landing spot was, he simply said he loved them all, but that home was best.

In addition to flying, Derryl loved his church and was known for making the best coffee for the coffee hour. He loved travel, camping, woodworking, and tinkering with old pickup trucks.

A celebration of life is planned for 11:00 am, January 17, 2026, at Apple Valley Community of Christ, 5990 134th St. Ct. W, Apple Valley MN. A visitation will be held at the church from 6:00-8:00 pm Friday, and Saturday from 10:00-11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, Outreach International, or the Apple Valley Community of Christ.