Carl Daniel Bjurlin, 55, of Fredonia passed away unexpectedly in the early hours of Monday, January 1, 2024 after a brief illness, surrounded by his loving wife, father, and his best friend in a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Many will remember Carl for his loyalty, his calm and steady demeanor, and his determination to live life to the fullest.
Carl was born on October 26, 1968 and was raised in Fredonia. From an early age, he was fascinated by things that could take him places. It may have started with a beloved model train set he received as a young child, but quickly evolved to full-sized cars, boats, and planes. There is no one you'd rather have at the wheel, yoke or tiller, particularly when it mattered the most (unless you were competing against him in a race).
Carl's love for sailing began in his childhood in a foam Kool Sea Snark sailboat. He took that love to the next level, mastering racing and winning many trophies. In 2000, he took his passion for racing and adventure further by signing up as crew for the BT Global Challenge, a round-the-world yacht race. Unfortunately, the race was cancelled due to 9/11. Carl was a longtime member of the Dunkirk Yacht Club, holding leadership positions for many years, including Commodore and Dock Master. His dedication to, and love for the club was evident to all who knew him.
Carl endured health challenges as a child that instilled a steely determination to persevere. Adulthood was also not without its challenges. Despite these obstacles, or perhaps because of them, he participated in several century bike rides as a boy, whitewater kayaked dozens of rapids with his closest friends as a young man, hiked the Grand Canyon multiple times, paddled 11 days down the Rio Grande, took countless trips to the Caribbean because he sailed every chance he got. His license plate read "Go Places," and he did.
His knack for technology led him to grow into the Director of Information Technology at Cliffstar. His knowledge, inherent leadership skills and his kind, supportive nature garnered him great respect from both his team and customers. Prior to that, he honed his skills at three key local manufacturers in Quality Control.
As part of Carl's pursuit of living life to the fullest, he became a licensed pilot in 2000. Carl then joined the staff at Dunkirk Aviation, now Chautauqua Aircraft Sales, ultimately rising to Vice President. Professionally, this is where Carl truly excelled. His expertise in IT and extraordinary people skills quickly led to him becoming a force in general aviation sales and management, not just locally but nationally and internationally. His clients usually became repeat customers as well as lifelong friends.
Through his leadership, Carl oversaw the transfer of Chautauqua Aircraft to Jamestown, where it grew exponentially. Per the request of the Mayor of Dunkirk, his tireless efforts produced the Dunkirk Lakeshore Airshow above the shoreline of the city in both 2016 and 2017.
Carl's life truly began when he met Donna racing sailboats at DYC. Consistent with his love of travel and adventurous spirit, he proposed to her at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and they married soon after. Donna and Carl traveled together, made plans for the future, and sailed and sailed and sailed. They both retired in the spring of 2023 to further live life together to the fullest.
Carl is survived by his soulmate and wife, Donna Bjurlin; parents, Marvin Bjurlin and Sharon Bartoo; stepparents, Tina Rausa and Bill Bartoo; brother, Curt (Alex Wells) Bjurlin; stepbrothers, Wes (Crissy) Bartoo and Tim (Colleen) Benton; three nephews; countless friends; and his cherished cat, Merlin.
A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date, likely to be held during the summertime.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Wings Flights of Hope based in Orchard Park, one of Carl's favorite charitable organizations.
Arrangements are by David J. Dengler, Larson-Timko Funeral Home, 20 Central Avenue in Fredonia. Online condolences can be made at www.larsontimkofuneralhome.com.
