Thomas Carr Obituary

Thomas West Carr Sullivan's Island - Thomas West Carr, 86, of Sullivan's Island died Friday, February 12, 2016 after a short illness. He was born in New York City in 1929, the son of Captain Henry M. Carr, Sr., USNR, and Sara Gatewood West of Richmond, VA. A service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 20, at St. Michael's Church, Charleston. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC. DOWNTOWN CHAPEL. Tom lived in an old oceanfront house on Sullivan's Island with his wife of 63 years, the former Haskell Grimball of Charleston, and his wired-haired terrier. He was visited regularly by his three kids and six grandchildren. A "Distinguished Military Graduate" of the Citadel in 1950, Tom also received a Master's Degree from George Washington University, and was a visiting fellow in Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He retired three times: from the military, from government service, and from education. He served as an artillery forward observer in combat in Korea, 1950-51, and later commanded four different artillery units in the US and Europe, before being retired for physical disability. He was selected as Founding Director of the White House Fellows program in 1964, and later as the first Director of Defense Education in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, responsible for service academies, war colleges, ROTC and other DOD-sponsored education. He was the Director of the National Advisory Council on the Education of Disadvantaged Children, appointed by the President in 1966. During his time at Princeton, he also acted as New Jersey State Chairman of the National Committee for the Support of Public Schools. He retired again and served 12 years as Vice President of The Washington Campus, a 17-university consortium established to help business leaders better understand government. Upon retirement from the Campus, he was named an Honorary Board Member. Tom was a member of the Cosmos Club of Washington, the Carolina Yacht Club, St. Michael's Church, The Charleston Ancient Artillery Society, and the Piping and Marching Society of Lower Chalmers Street. He served as a mentor for an inner-city fifth grader, volunteered for the Salvation Army and "Meals on Wheels", was a member of various Rotary Club committees, and served as a tour guide at St. Michael's Church. He enjoyed playing tennis and his weekly poker game. He is survived by his wife, Haskell Grimball Carr of Sullivan's Island; his brother, Henry M. Carr, Jr. of Fairfax, VA; his sister-in-law, Jane Grimball Greely of Falmouth, ME; his son, Arthur Grimball Carr (Elizabeth) of Washington, DC; his daughter, Sara Gatewood Karaus of Lynchburg, VA; his grandchildren, Katherine Bachman Karaus of Pittsburgh, PA; Thomas West Carr, III of Charleston; Amy Maria Carr of Charleston; Benjamin Vail Karaus of Norwalk, CT; Jasper Vuthy Carr of Washington, DC; Bandith Cooper Carr of Washington, DC; many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by his son, Thomas West Carr, Jr.(Anne), former Fire Chief of Charleston; and by his dog, Edgar. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Michael's Church, 71 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401; Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, 401 Hackensack Ave., 9th Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601; Multiple System Atrophy Coalition, 9935-D Rea Road, #212, Charlotte, NC 28277 Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston