LaRoi Carter Sr.'s Obituary
LaRoi Carter, Sr., 84, of Toledo, Ohio went with the angels to join his bride, JoAnn, in eternal rest and lasting peace on Thursday, April 19, 2018.
Born on July 25, 1933, he received his formal education in the Toledo and Swanton, Ohio school systems and was a graduate of the Edward Drummond Libbey High School. He continued his studies at the college level and obtained the following degrees – an Associate of Arts in Real Estate from Fort Steilacoom Community College (now Pierce College) and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from The Evergreen State College, Olympia Campus. He also completed graduate-level work in Business Administration at the University of Puget Sound.
A veteran of the Korean and Vietnam War, LaRoi served twenty years and eighteen days in the United States Air Force (USAF) and retired as a Non-Commissioned Officer. After the Air Force, he continued to serve his country for another 32 years as an Air Traffic Control Specialist, Supervisor, Air Traffic Facility Manager, System Management Specialist, System Effectiveness Specialist, Freedom of Information Act (F.O.I.A.) Officer and Quality Assurance Specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Among his many accomplishments during his time as a Federal employee – including serving as a mentor and advisor to many aspiring air traffic professionals and leading recruiting efforts at historically Black colleges and universities - Mr. Carter held the distinction of being one of the first African Americans to integrate the Northwest Mountain Region of the Federal Aviation Administration as an Air Traffic Controller.
Outside of his professional endeavors, he also served his community with distinction as a Prince Hall Mason. In 1960, he was appointed to head a Masonic study club at the McChord Air Force Base; this club later became Egyptian Lodge No. 44, and LaRoi was installed as its first Worshipful Master. In 1982, he was appointed to head a Scottish Rite study club in Olympia, Washington; this club later became Capital City Consistory No. 106, and LaRoi was installed as its first Commander-in-Chief. Among his achievements of note, LaRoi recently combined his vast knowledge of freemasonry with his talent as an accomplished jazz trumpet player to raise money for deserving music students in the Pierce County school system.
He is survived by five sons, two daughters, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held 12:00PM-8:00PM on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at Mountain View Funeral Home.
A Funeral Service celebrating the life of LaRoi will be held 10:00 AM, Friday, May 4, 2018 in the Aspen Chapel, with entombment to follow at Mountain View Funeral Home & Memorial Park, Lakewood.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial donations be made in his honor to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation - a non profit organization dedicated to helping local communities and school districts build sustainable music programs.
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