Joel Moore

My old buddy has been gone for quite a while now and as is the case with the loss of any dear friend or family member; I still can't believe he's gone. Carl and I first met at a Boy Scout Troop 107 meeting at Perritte Memorial Methodist Church in 1969. He had moved to Nacogdoches from Woodville and lived two doors down from Jim Bob Sweat. We became fast friends and maintained a close bond for the rest of his life. As some of you may know, Carl had an incredible memory. He could recount the most obscure events we had participated in down to what we wore and who drove. He never forgot a birthday, anniversary or special occasion. Even though we darted in and out of each other’s lives for years, he was always able to slow me down long enough for him to catch up and take a mental inventory. He was there when I married, even though it took him fourteen hours of driving to get there. When my daughter was born, he was there to hold her. I had a difficult surgery; he showed up to sit with Nancy. He never asked if he should be there, I'm sure he didn't feel he owed an explanation. He would call to catch up and the conversation might last an hour, maybe two. If you needed a laugh, you posed a question that required his patented response,"Well..." Although he never had children, he counted his friend's children as his own and expected an update, in detail, on each one. The last time I saw him, something told me things weren’t right, so before we said goodbye, I hugged him a little tighter. He always acted a little awkward when it came to physically showing affection, but we all knew he loved us with a big heart. When Taylor called me not long after that last get together to tell me he was gone, we agreed to give him the best send off we possibly could. The First United Methodist Church in Woodville wasn't packed the day of his funeral, but those who were present were witness to the most endearing memorial any of us had ever attended. Six of us eulogized Carl with our own personal stories and reflections. The minister who gave the funeral sermon was a childhood friend. Robert and Jill Low’s two sons were there to sing him tribute. There was even a small contingent of our classmates from Nacogdoches who came to share in the celebration. It was the kind of service we all hope to have when it's our turn. I still have Carl’s number in my phone to remind me of those marathon conversations we use to have. I probably always will. There’s an old saying that you can consider yourself a rich man if you can count your true friends on two fingers. I consider Carl one of those friends.

Teddy Chaney (Farley)

Carl was the kind of friend that everyone could only wish to have. I have never met anyone that was so devoted to being there with you when you were facing any crisis or celebration in life. He always knew exactly what to say and he seemed to speak the most obvious words of reason. But, believe me, he was ready to "gossip" if you could spare the time to talk. I don't know how he did it but throughout the years, he kept up with everybody. If I mentioned a name from high school, he could tell me exactly where they were and what they were up to. It was amazing. The problem was that you better be ready to stay on the phone for no less than 2 hours for each call he made but that was alright because he was full of entertaining stories that made me roll with laughter. I always loved how he put his own spin on things and I can only imagine what he would share with others about me! Carl loved sports and decided to come for a visit to watch Ralph coach a playoff game. I thought he would only be there for the night but instead, he ended up spending a couple more days with us. Those were the days that I will always treasure. Carl was a wonderful addition to my life and is missed daily.

Jan Dobbs (Barton)