Ouachita County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....CARTER, THOMAS ROLAND September 5, 2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gina Brown ancestry_helper@yahoo.com September 6, 2008, 6:30 am News Star World - September 6, 2008 THOMAS ROLAND CARTER Kilpatrick Funeral Home West Monroe, LA Memorial services for Thomas Roland Carter, 77, of West Monroe, Louisiana, will be held at 3:00 PM, Monday, September 8,2008 at the First Presbyterian Church of Monroe. A reception will follow in the church Fellowship Hall. Rev. Allison Moody will officiate. Graveside service to be held at 1:00 PM at Twin Cities Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held Sunday evening, September 7, from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Kilpatrick Funeral Home in West Monroe. Roland was born on May 15, 1931, in West Monroe, Louisiana. He grew up in the Cheniere Community and graduated from Ouachita Parish High School and Northeast Louisiana State College with a major in music. While at Northeast, he organized the "Commodores" dance band and played in North Louisiana, East Texas, Southern Arkansas, and Mississippi. In 1953, he married the late Yvonne Ford of Waterproof, Louisiana. He taught band at Crosley Elementary before entering the United States Army in 1954. He was Company Commander of the Third Battalion of the 8th Infantry, Tenth Infantry Division during the Korean conflict. After three years in the Army, Roland returned to West Monroe where he became the Director of Bands at West Monroe High School from 1956 - 1958. In 1958, he left the music field to go into business for himself selling graduate supplies to students across the state. He, along with his partners, organized a large sales group that eventually extended into five states. The group, called Graduate Sales ltd. is the largest sales organization in the graduate supply industry. He also organized another sales company called The Recognition Company, selling recognition products to large corporations and other businesses. Roland jokingly called himself an "itinerant peddler" and loved his career in sales for over forty five years. He treasured the many friendships he made in the schools and the business world. He was forced to retire in 2001 when he was diagnosed with cancer. Roland and his brother Johnny Carter were co-owners of Carter's Camping Center for over forty five years. One of Roland's major interests was the Northeast Louisiana University. He was one of the founders of the Northeast Louisiana State College Foundation in 1965 and served two terms as president of the Northeast Louisiana University Alumni Association. For many years, he was a member of the NLU Boosters Club and the NLU Letterman's Club. He was twice president of the Louisiana Alumni Council, representing all Louisiana colleges and universities, and was actively involved in the development of Northeast Louisiana University Alumni chapters. Roland served the community as a past member of the National Board of Directors of the Boys Club and helped to organize the West Monroe Boys Club. He was a past president of the Optimist Club, past Commander of Burnett-Downs Post, and a six-term president of the American Legion. He was a past member of the Louisiana Department of Public Works Board and a member of the Higher Education Facilities Commission. Roland was a member of the Presbyterian Church for over fifty years serving as elder many times over the years. He was presently a member of First Presbyterian Church of Monroe. He loved singing in the choir until the last few months of his illness. Roland married Sue Saunders Waugh in December of 1972. They were devoted to one another for 35 years. They fought a mighty battle together against Non- Hodgkins Lymphoma for eight years with the help of Dr. Svetomir Markovic at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Robert Massingill of Shreveport, and Dr. Floyd Jones of West Monroe. Roland's faith and tireless courage were amazing to the end. Roland was preceded in death by his first wife Yvonne Carter; a son Thomas Roland Carter, Jr.; parents, Cora and Howard P. Carter, brothers Roy Carter and John A. Carter. He Is survived by his wife Sue Carter; sons Howard Carter and wife Celeste, Jamie Waugh and wife T.K., Nick Waugh and wife Leanne, and Ro Carter and wife Brandi; six grandchildren Nicholas and Caroline Waugh, Alise, Cole, and Jack Carter, and Thomas Roland Carter III; brother Howard P. Carter and wife Ruth; sisters-in-law Mary Carter and Frances Carter; and a number of nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be partners of Graduate Sales: Leo Sanford, Bill Bobo, Carol LeBlanc, Curt Joiner, Steve Sanford, Stan Sanford , Donnie Johnson, and Tom Blackwell. Memorials may be made to The Gift of Life Transplant House, 705 Second Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55902. Additional Comments: from Kilpatrickfuneralhome.com Mr. Thomas Roland Carter May 15, 1931 - September 05, 2008 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/ouachita/obits/c/carter1812gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb