George Carl, a longtime Register outdoors columnist, radio professional and community volunteer, succumbed to leukemia in his west Napa home Wednesday. He was 66.

Carl wrote the weekly outdoors column in the Register for more than 18 years, explaining his adventures in the California wilderness and advocating for hikers, hunters and fishermen.

Bill Bayles, a friend of the Carl family who does radio programs about the outdoors at stations in Susanville, said he spent many days celebrating life and the outdoors with Carl.

“We ran all of California together — the streams, hills and valleys, the Sacramento River and the ocean. In Nevada, we went to the highest peaks to face the wiliest chukkers — and we got ‘em!”

Bayles said Carl first got him into radio with a typical George Carl line: “Bill, I’m going to make you radio active.”

Pat Stanley, a former colleague of Carl’s at KVON in Napa, said, “Every time I see a Santa Claus I’ll think of George Carl as Saint Nick, bringing smiles to the special kids at Wintun School. He was there every Christmas for many decades. Every time I hear somebody say ‘Keep smiling,’ I’ll think of George. That was his trademark everyday greeting.”

“He lived up to his slogan,” said Ira C. Smith, another KVON colleague. “He always had his sparkle in his eye from the time I met him to the last time I saw him.”

George Carl Moritz was born on August 2, 1941, in Chicago, and began his radio career in the early 1960s. In those early days, he participated as a radio station switched to the then-new rock and roll format, and helped promote shows for bands such as the Turtles, the Beach Boys, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs.

In 1967 he married Veronica Knox and continued his radio career in Kalamazoo, Mich., and soon afterward moved to Napa and signed on with KVON.

For 30 years he served as KVON’s sales manager, morning show host and outdoors reporter. He finished his career with Wine Country Radio in Santa Rosa, retiring in 2006.

As a member of the Napa Active 20-30 Club, he founded a free children’s fishing derby — now named in his honor — and served as Santa for more than 25 years.

In 2004, he was diagnosed with leukemia. In 2006, he underwent an arduous bone marrow transplant at Stanford Hospital. He and his wife Andie relocated to the South Bay for months after a match was found for Carl, with Andie essentially suspending her life to support Carl.

While the leukemia never disappeared, thereafter Carl had periods of energy when he could still enjoy fishing and other activities with his son, Guy Carl, friend Ron Modrall and others. Carl and Andie, a teacher in Solano County, also wrote a series of articles for the Register chronicling the battle with leukemia.

George Carl is survived by his wife Alexandra (Andie); his sister Marie and brother-in-law Ken Losey of San Marcos; his brother Joe and sister-in-law Pam Moritz of Bend, Ore.; his children Carrie, Greg, Guy and his wife Julie, Gavin and his wife Carolyn; his grandchildren and many dear relatives and friends.

Reached Thursday afternoon, Guy Carl said, “The thing that stands out in my mind is what a great example he is for everyone, not only in the outdoors, but in just how to live life. He made everyone feel happy just to be around him.”

Register Executive Sports Editor Marty James has been with the paper for the entire run of Carl’s column.

“George Carl brought more than just important news and information about the great outdoors to his readers each week. Through his many fishing, hunting, boating, hiking and camping trips, he shared first-hand his adventures and experiences of being up close with nature and wildlife and the beauty of the outdoors. George’s weekly column — which appeared for many, many years in the Register — gave readers great insight and knowledge into places where he had traveled and the many people he met along the way.”

Services are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m., at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 2725 Elm St., Napa. They will be followed by a celebration of life at the Community Hall in Skyline Wilderness Park, 2201 Imola Ave., Napa, from 4 to 7 p.m.

In lieu of flower or gifts, Carl requested that donations be made to Napa River Steelhead, 2046 West F St., Napa, CA  94558.