Leslie J. Carson Jr., 72; lawyer filled many roles

Leslie J. Carson Jr., 72, of Overbrook Farms, a lawyer and community activist, died of myelofibrosis, a bone-marrow disease, Friday at Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Since 1973, Mr. Carson had maintained a law practice in Philadelphia. He specialized in real estate and business law. In 1986 he argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court involving commodity futures trading.

For the last several years, he had been a family-advocacy lawyer for Family Court in Philadelphia, helping parents involved with the child-welfare system keep or reunite with their children.

Mr. Carson grew up in San Francisco and Devon. He graduated from Malvern Preparatory School and earned a bachelor's degree from Villanova University.

After earning a law degree from Villanova, he joined the firm of Saul, Ewing, Remick & Saul in Philadelphia. In 1966, he was appointed an assistant district attorney by Philadelphia's newly elected district attorney, Arlen Specter. Two years later, Mr. Carson left that post to run as a Republican for the U.S. House seat in the First District, but lost to the incumbent, William Barrett.

Afterward, Mr. Carson was an assistant attorney general for Pennsylvania. From 1970 to 1973, he was counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mr. Carson was a member of Lawyers for Life and a past treasurer of the Philadelphia chapter of Lambda Alpha International, a forum for the study of land economics. He was past president of the Overbrook Farms Club, a civic association. In the 1970s, he was a founding member and served a term as president of the Green Hill Club, a community center in Overbrook.

Since 1958, Mr. Carson had been married to Simone Prendergast Carson. They met at the pool at the Philadelphia Country Club, where she was a member and he a lifeguard. He was mild-mannered and never raised his voice to his seven children, she said.

"He was the ultimate reasonable man," their son Christopher said.

Though he battled serious illness for 13 years, Mr. Carson continued to practice law, his wife said, and was going to court as recently as June. He loved spending time with his family at their vacation home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, she said, and spent a week there this month before being hospitalized.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Carson is survived by another son, Mark; daughters Simone Watson, Theresa Shafer, Michele Howe, Jacqueline Carson-Aponte and Kathleen; a brother; and nine grandchildren.

Friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the McConaghy Funeral Home, 328 W. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, and after 10 a.m. tomorrow at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 63d Street and Lancaster Avenue. A Funeral Mass will be said at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the church, where Mr. Carson was a lector and member of the parish council and finance committee. Burial will be in St. Denis Cemetery, Havertown.

Memorial donations may be made to the MPD Foundation,233 Wacker Dr., Chicago, Ill., 60606, mpdfoundation.org or to Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 6325 Lancaster Ave., Philadelphia, 19151.