Carl James Dunlap

image of Carl James Dunlap

Carl James Dunlap

On Tuesday, September 3, 2019, Carl James Dunlap passed away suddenly from complications of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  Beloved son of Tracey and James Dunlap, Carl was born on August 22, 1998 and had recently celebrated his 21st birthday in Las Vegas.

Carl was about to start his senior year at the University of Washington Foster School of Business.  He attended Wellington Elementary, Leota Junior High (where he was student body president), and Woodinville High School (where he played in the drumline).  He was DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, Technology) Scholar and intern at UW.  Carl loved hockey and had a wonderful experience as the debut Executive Track Internship Program intern for the Everett Silvertips. He was completing an outreach internship with the City of Kirkland at the time of his passing.  He aspired to work in sports management and dreamed of being the youngest General Manager in the National Hockey League.

Carl had a wide circle of great friends that he loved to hang out with and his passions included sports, video games, going to raves, and his dog Amy.  He had a wicked sense of humor and an overwhelmingly positive approach to life. He said recently that this was one of his happiest times.  Carl lived every day to the fullest and never let his physical challenges stand in his way.  He had visited 16 countries and 17 states.

Carl was preceded in death by his grandparents, Richard and Jean Porritt and uncle Richard Porritt, grandmother Josephine Dunlap, and cousin John Lanspery.  He is survived by his parents, Tracey and Jim, his grandfather William Dunlap, and by many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln reads “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years.”  Carl and his family lived by this axiom and inspired others to do the same.  A celebration of Carl’s life will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2019, at 1 pm at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland WA.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Carl’s memory at www.cureduchenne.org.

20 Responses to “Carl James Dunlap”

  • Clark Brown says:

    Jim, our condolences to you and your family. May God bless you all.

  • Joe Mara says:

    Josephine and I send our sincere condolences to Carl’s family and friends. He was obviously full of life and love and will be very much missed.

  • The Bedell Family says:

    We are all saddened to hear of Carl’s passing. Sam and Ben have many great memories of Carl through out their schooling and band together. You are wonderful parents and gave Carl so many opportunities and great adventures. He was a smart ambitious young man and loved by many. May God bless you in this time of sorrow. May all your wonderful memories of adventures together bring you peace and comfort. Jeff, Michelle, Sam and Ben

  • Barbara & John Gelpke says:

    Tracey and Jim, our deepest condolence to you and your family. We always enjoyed your family’s Christmas cards through out the years of photos showing the wonderful adventures with Carl traveling. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in these difficult times and may the memories bring you comfort.

  • The Dardzinski's says:

    We are so sorry to hear about Carl. Thinking of your family.

  • Linda and David Findlay says:

    Tracey and Jim,

    We are profoundly saddened that Carl has passed. He lived a very full and meaningful life…and never let his health challenges stop him from his many adventures and love of learning, meeting people all over the world, and challenging all obstacles. He was the apple of your eyes; everyone he knew loved and cared for him. It seemed that over the years as his DMD advanced, he simply did more and more in his life than most of us might ever do in a lifetime. We believe that Carl is now in a beautiful and loving place, and at peace. May God bless you Tracey and Jim.

  • The Lau Family says:

    We are very sad to hear Carl’s passing. Carl was an inspiration to Isaac and Jamin through out their school years together. You are the best parents one can ask for. May God’s love bring peace and comfort to you during this time of sorrow. Cooper, Donny, Isaac, and Jamin

  • Andrew Lott says:

    Carl was a true friend. He always knew the right food to eat, the right song to play, and the right advice to give. Whenever I needed a helping hand, he was there to lift me up. I will never forget him.

  • Amy Bolen says:

    Carl was an inspiration at City Hall. As an intern, he was eager to learn, happy to help, and a pleasure to have around. We will miss Carl and his smile!

  • The Thoma family says:

    We are deeply saddened to hear of Carl’s passing. He was such an impressive young man that touched the lives of many people in his short time on this earth and will be forever remembered in everyone’s heart. Laurie, Todd and Madeline

  • Gayle & Peter Hickey says:

    Jim, very sad to hear of Carl passing. Always enjoyed hearing how Carl was doing when we would run into each other in State Land. Our condolences to you and your family.

  • Dan Todoroff says:

    On behalf of the Everett Silvertips, our deepest condolences to your family. Carl was an amazing part of our organization and will be deeply missed. As a fellow student at Wellington, Leota and Woodinville, this strikes me even more deeply. My best to all of you, and thank you for raising such a great young man.

  • Susan M Phillips says:

    I am so glad I got to meet Carl on his 18th Birthday.It was right before he was going to move off to college with his dorm dad.It was an exciting visit with my cousin Jimmy and to meet Carl for the first time. Lots of love and fond memories were shared that day.My deepest regards to the whole family. Love cousin Susan

  • Kathy Brown says:

    Carl was an amazing young man, who lived an incredible life and contributed so much to the world! We at City Hall were so very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with and to be inspired by him. My thoughts and prayers are with Tracey and Jim.

  • Jonathan & Joshua Kim says:

    Love transcends space and time, it’s the only emotion we feel even after we cease to exist. We lost a brother to duchenne muscular dystrophy. He was dealt a losing hand, but never once decided to fold. Carl’s mental fortitude to think optimistically has lead him to accomplish many goals in his life. Carl showed us how to persevere when your back is against the wall, how to exercise patience when you’re feeling stressed, and how to express vulnerably inorder to love deeply. More than that we trusted Carl and he was the person we looked towards to stay grounded. Knowing that he’s not here has brought immense sadness, but we know he wouldn’t want that. Rather he would want us all to remember him by the unforgettable memories we’ve shared and the love he expressed unconditionally. It’s heartbreaking to see him leave, but we’re grateful to have known him. We will see you in the next life.

  • Jonathan & Joshua Kim says:

    Love transcends space and time, it’s the only emotion we feel even after they cease to exist. We lost a brother to duchenne muscular dystrophy. He was dealt a losing hand, but never once decided to fold. Carl’s mental fortitude to think optimistically has lead him to accomplish many goals in his life. Carl showed us how to persevere when your back is against the wall, how to exercise patience when you’re feeling stressed, and how to express vulnerably inorder to love deeply. More than that we trusted Carl and he was the person we looked towards to stay grounded. Knowing that he’s not here has brought immense sadness, but we know he wouldn’t want that. Rather he would want us all to remember him by the unforgettable memories we’ve shared and the love he expressed unconditionally. It’s heartbreaking to see him leave, but we’re grateful to have known him. We will see you in the next life.

  • Marisa Rose Muszynski says:

    We are very sad to hear of Carl’s passing. He was always a joy to talk to and be around, and he will be greatly missed.

  • Kaylen Dailey says:

    My deepest condolences to the Dunlap family. I went to high school with Carl and went on to attend the Foster School with him. I had quite a few classes with Carl at UW and always looked forward to seeing him and working with him. It was so nice to have a familiar face at UW. He will be missed.

  • Ernie Merritt says:

    I am so saddened to hear of Carl’s passing. I was his Calculus teacher at WHS. He was such an inspiration and joy to have in class. I really cherished his visits back from UW. He always brightened my day. He will be missed!

  • Jeffrey Baldwin says:

    Carl was a friend of mine from high school. I enjoyed having lunch with him and hanging out with him and occasionally talking about the Silvertips with him. He will be missed.

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