Carlton Alfred Post

June 14, 1935 – June 9, 2016

Last Thursday, June 9, 2016, our community lost one of its most beloved citizens. Carl Post, a Laguna Beach resident of nearly 45 years, passed away after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Post was born in San Bernardino, on June 14, 1935. He was the second of five sons born to W.B. and Pearl Post. Known as “river bottom” kids, Post and his brothers didn’t have much, but made do with what they had – shooting marbles, throwing yo-yos and spinning tops.

After graduation from Colton High School, Post studied engineering while working full-time with a paving company. He married in 1956 and had two children, Mark and Lauren. From the time he was 23 years old, Post started and operated 10 plus companies, mostly in the paving, construction and development industries.

In 1978, he married Cheryl Lee Balsiger and informally adopted her son Brandon, raising him as his own.

Longtime philanthropists, Post and his wife Cheryl were devoted supporters for an extensive list of local charities, including Guide Dogs for the Blind, Laguna Presbyterian Church, South Coast Medical Center, the Boys and Girls Club, the Susi Q Senior Center, and many others.

Perhaps their most poignant work, however, blossomed from unbearable tragedy, the 1991 death of their 21-year-old son, Brandon. “After Brandy died, we couldn’t breathe for six months. There was no pleasure to be had in life,” recounted Post in an interview. Post and his wife turned their grief into grassroots action, founding Brandy’s Friends, one of Laguna’s first out-patient treatment centers for adolescent drug and alcohol abuse. They also established an ongoing scholarship for Laguna Beach High School seniors committed to helping their peers resist the temptations of substance use.

In addition to focusing acutely on their community, the Posts have traveled the world, visiting more than 20 countries together.

Carlton Alfred Post is survived by his wife of 38 years, Cheryl; son Mark Post and daughter Lauren Benton, and their families; four brothers and one sister; mother-in-law Rose Conken; and sister-in-law Carol Richards and her family, all Laguna Beach residents.

A private family service will be held this week, and a public celebration of Post’s life is planned for next month. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation of your time or resources in the name of Carl Post to the Susi Q Senior Center in Laguna Beach, 949/497-2441.

“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill.