Obituary: Munding, Carl Alvin
Age 73
His spirit lives on as he was and will always be a man who lived a life of respect, love, and service to others before himself.
Carl was born September 19, 1939 to Clarence and Mary Munding in San Luis Obispo, California.
He was the oldest of eight children and grew up in Santa Maria, California.
At the age of eighteen, he spent one of his most memorable summers on the wheat farm of Margret and Ervin Christensen, who loved him like a son, and his love for them was returned the rest of his life in kind.
Carl graduated from the University of Santa Clara, class of 1961, and graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a Masters Degree in Public Health and a Masters Degree in Business.
He loved Santa Clara University and his Bronco classmates.
For those Broncos reading this: a mandatory toast to the spirit of Carl.
It was at Santa Clara University where Carl met the love of his life: Kathleen Degnan.
Truly soul mates, with a love that will transcend this life, and that will endure through eternity.
Carl was honored to serve in the Army where he attained the rank of Captain.
Carl’s first job was at Pfizer, where he was honored as Man of the Year.
He subsequently accepted a position at Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle, Washington, which led to his most passionate career as the hospital administrator at Providence Hospital Everett, Washington, where he served loyally for twenty years.
Carl was the first lay administrator of the hospital where he worked with the nuns to transform an 87 bed facility to a 257 bed regional medical center.
He was an administrator of vision for the community.
After 20 years at Providence and with the children off to college, Carl and Kathleen moved to Paradise Valley, Arizona, where he founded Munding & Associates, serving people for the next twenty years.
Carl was the most humble of men.
He adopted early on this mantra: “gratitude is riches; complaint is poverty.”
He didn’t speak it; he lived it on a daily basis.
Every day, Carl nurtured and challenged people spiritually, intellectually, morally, and physically through his example.
His life was one of service to family, community, and society’s most disadvantaged members.
He loved his membership in Rotary for over forty years, being president of both Everett and Paradise Valley Chapters.
He was President of the Seattle Area Hospital Association, Sisters of Providence Retirement Board, National College of Hospital Administrators, United Way, and the YMCA.
In Arizona, he served on the Board of La Hacienda Hospital de Niĺ?˜os for nine years, established foundations for Paradise Valley of Washington elementary school districts, and North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
While consulting for Flagstaff Medical Center, he oversaw the building of Taylor House for cancer patient families.
The awards and honors were numerous.
However, he was simply grateful for the opportunity to serve others.
Carl is survived by his wife of 50 years, Kathleen (Kitty); four children, Monica Windham, John Munding, Matt Munding and Michelle Cash; beloved daughters-in-law, Karen and Liz; sons-in-law, Rob and John; grandchildren, Beth, Erin, David, Tom, Madeline, Jeffrey, Stephanie, Elise, and Zachary.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother David.
He is survived by his siblings, Mary Steven Smith (Gordon), Laura Munding Rhodes (Dick), Amelia Munding, Peter Munding (Marti), Frances Parrish, Sene Williams (David), many nieces and nephews, and numerous close cousins.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 30th at 4:00 p.m. at the Franciscan Renewal Center, 5802 E. Lincoln Dr., Scottsdale, AZ.
Pursuant to Carl’s wishes, a grand party celebrating life will be held immediately following the mass.
MESSINGER MORTUARY, SCOTTSDALE, AZ.