John Mitchell Carnahan, age 87, died at home on Thursday, February 24, 2022. John was born in Boyce, Louisiana in 1934. He was the second child of Columbus Mitchell Carnahan and Mildred McGowin Hickman. John lived in Boyce with his parents until the age of four, when he moved to Auburn, Alabama to live with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Gibson. Auntie and Uncle did not have any children and reared John as their own. John was nurtured and given every opportunity. He spent 12 formative years attending First Baptist Church, participating in sports and Boy Scouts, delivering newspapers on his bike, gardening with Uncle, helping Auntie with chores, and growing his love of reading and learning. When John was 16, Auntie and Uncle reluctantly said good-bye to their "Johnny" so he could return to his mother. Mildred had remarried and moved to Alexandria, Louisiana. John spent his last two years of high school with his mother, her husband Ned, his older sister Jean, and Mildred and Ned's three young children; Sandra, Edward, and Nancy. After graduating from Bolton High School in 1951, John spent several years working before enlisting in the U.S. Army. John served for three years and returned to Baton Rouge to enroll at LSU. It was at LSU that John met the love of his life, Carolyn Woodfin. John and Carolyn both graduated from LSU in 1961. John moved to New Orleans to begin a career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse while Carolyn attended Tulane's School of Social Work. A year's courtship led to a wedding in Baton Rouge in 1962. John and Carolyn began their married life in New Orleans. They were blessed by the arrival of Ira Woodfin Carnahan in 1963 and Leigh Wilson Carnahan in 1965. In 1966, John accepted the invitation of his father-in-law, Ira Woodfin, to join him at Woodfin-Smith Pontiac. It was a good decision for the family, both then and in future years. In 1974 John became general manager, and he held that position until he and Carolyn sold Woodfin Pontiac-Isuzu in 1999. Throughout his career as a car dealer, John was beloved for his respect and devotion to his employees and customers alike. John was a recognized leader in the automotive community and the business community more generally. He served as president of the Baton Rouge New Car Dealers Association and director of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association. He was a board member of the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce and director of the Better Business Bureau. John also served as a director of the East Baton Rouge Mortgage Finance Authority. John lived out his values. His strong Christian faith was borne out in his commitment to service, education, and equal opportunity. He was an active member of First United Methodist Church, where he taught Sunday school, led Covenant Groups, and served four terms as chair of the Church Council. He helped establish the Cursillo movement in Louisiana. John's commitment to public education began when he and Carolyn served as co-chairs of the PTA at Westdale Middle School, and he was the silent partner in Carolyn's extensive work with Volunteers In Public Schools. As four-term president of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control, John helped lead the modernization of the parish library system. John was committed to racial and social equality throughout his personal and professional life, most recently as a supporter of Together Baton Rouge. In recognition of his many contributions to the community, John was named a Volunteer Activist in 2006. John loved tennis. He played as often as he could and passed on his love of the game to his children. When injury forced him to give up tennis, he channeled his athletic energy into golf. He took great pleasure in trips with his golfing buddies and relished his time on the course at the Baton Rouge Country Club. John's retirement was a wonderful blessing. He and Carolyn (with their loyal dog Vips at their side) stayed closely connected to their community and to their children and grandchildren. Ira and Kitty McNamara Carnahan live in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and have two children: Callie Frances, 22, a senior at Rice University, and William Woodfin, 20, a sophomore at Tulane University. Leigh and Dan Comas live in Washington, D.C., and have four children: Christopher Walsh, 24, in Seattle, WA; John Carnahan, 22, in New York, NY; Nora Frances, 19, a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis; and Amelia Frances, 12, a sixth grader at Maret School in Washington, D.C. John is also survived by his siblings Sandra McDaniel, Nancy Braud, and Judy Womack. Services will be held at First United Methodist Church on Thursday, March 3: visitation from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., funeral service at 11:30 a.m., and inurnment to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are encouraged to Volunteers In Public Schools and First United Methodist Church.
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