GOODBYE DAD
by Gina Carr Kyle, Founder, The TowneLaker Magazine

My dad gave several gifts to those he loved. 

To his son Thomas, he gave his insatiable love of all things musical. In recent days, Dad discovered that he could download music from the internet. He would spend hours downloading favorite songs for his family. 

To his daughter Crystal, he gave his love of people. Neither he nor Crystal ever met a stranger. They both had an incredible talent for making friends wherever they went. 

To me, he gave his love for animals. I was always amazed that my big burly Dad had such a big heart when it came to helpless furry creatures. 

To my mother, he gave his undying love. I know she will always treasure the beautiful cards he sent her throughout the 43 years they spent side by side, many with his own special messages written inside. 

To us all, he gave his respect for hard work, honesty, and perseverance. Above all, he gave us his love of life that lasted until the very end. 

For these and many other things, we will forever be thankful. 

The death of a loved one is never easy. However, I will always be thankful that God gave us a warning. His diagnosis served as a wake-up call for all of us to make some significant changes in our lives. 

Whether you knew my Dad from the beach, the lake, the Sunday School class, or some other way, you knew that he was a very compassionate man. He always wanted to see those around him happy. He does not want us to mourn his death. He wants us to celebrate his life. 

My dad was a man who would have given his life for his kids or his wife any day of the week. In the end, he taught me to live life to its fullest everyday and to do what I can each day to let those I love know it. 

I am reminded of a poem I learned many years ago. "Do not wait until it's over and he's underneath the clover, for he cannot read his tombstone when he's dead." 

We are happy today that he is suffering no longer. We are happy that he has gone on to heaven. We are thankful to have known this very special man. 

It is during these challenging times that we grow in our faith in God and in our love for each other. 

We will forever remember our dad, our papa, our trooper, our Tom. 

Thank you to the many people in this community that supported my family with their prayers, love and presence.

Thomas Earl Carr, Sr.
November 2, 1934
June 17, 2001

On Father's Day 2001, my father passed away after suffering from cancer for over two years. The following is my tribute to him and all the fathers that give their heart and soul to their families.  

My dad was raised on a farm in LA. That's Lower Alabama, of course. He got off to a rough start in life when, at the tender age of six, his mother died giving birth to twin girls. 

Nevertheless, he learned to work hard on their family farm - getting up at four in the morning to milk the cows and do his chores before he went to school. 

He graduated with honors from high school in the summer of 1954 and headed to the land of opportunity, Atlanta. It was here that he met my mother in the spring of 1958. He knew that she frequented the local Kroger. I guess there was something magical about the way they smiled at each other in the frozen foods section. 

He always had a thing for redheads and foreigners (she was from Tennessee, you see). Her heart was won by the tall, dark, handsome prince who always seemed to be around when she needed a hand. 

He was very proud of his kids. I bet every person who visited Panama City Beach during the last decade knows that he had a daughter that graduated from Harvard, a son who was the greatest drummer in the world, and another daughter that was the Homecoming Queen of Pebblebrook High School. 

He was equally proud of his two beautiful grand children. My sister, Crystal, and I are thankful that our children knew their ever-loving "papa" who spoiled them rotten every chance he could. 

Most of his professional life, my dad was a homebuilder. I remember him telling his workers "We want to do it right the first time because we want to be able to come back and see these people again." 

My dad always put his family first. I can't tell you the sacrifices that he and my mother made for their children. For years, they dedicated their lives to our competitive water skiing, spending every spare moment either in training or at tournaments. He was also proud that he and my mother never took a vacation without their children. 

It was Thanksgiving of 1998 that we received the message that would change our lives. "Dad has melanoma cancer," my mother said. 

During these last couple of years, every family get-together was even more special because we knew our time together might be cut short. Fortunately, his health and quality of life were quite good until just these past few months.