David Roy Carrington Sr.

David Roy Carrington aka “Slick” died April 11, 2025 while sleeping peacefully at home. He was born Oct 31, 1944. David was preceded in death by his parents, John Claude Carrington and Charlotte Bean Carrington, and his nephew John Claude Carrington, III. He is survived by his wife, Sally Smith Carrington, his sons David Roy Carrington, Jr (Sarah), Blackshear Smith Carrington, Sr. (Scooter), Fred Blackwell Carrington, Sr. (Julia), his grandchildren Walker, Bo, Caroline, Sadie, Lauren, Fred, Annie and Charlotte, his sister Faye Carrington Brady Hughes, his brother John Claude Carrington (Sue), and his nephews David Brady Jr (Lucy), Cliff Brady (Leelee), and Clay Carrington (Leigh).

David was a lifelong resident of Mobile. His educational journey was diverse and sketchy. He attended UMS prior to graduating from Murphy High School. It remains unclear as to why he left UMS. One can only assume it was not by choice since all three of his boys attended St. Paul’s. After graduating from Murphy by the skin of his teeth, David attended Shreiner University in Kerrville Texas. Apparently, Shreiner catered to the unscholarly and was used by some as a steppingstone to the University of Alabama. It worked for David because he graduated from Alabama in 1969 with a degree in Business Administration and married Sally on May 29, 1970. Somewhere between all of that, it is believed he served in the Army as there is a framed certificate in his office saying he was honorably discharged on August 31st, 1970. David’s first job out of college was selling insurance, but he quickly realized he needed to be his own boss if he was going to remain employed. Slick was never one to follow instruction, and he could not stand being told what to do. As a result, he started Carrington Foods in 1971.

David’s sons came next from 1972 to 1978 with the middle son being born on Sally and David’s anniversary. David liked to remind that son on each birthday that it was the worst day of his life by comically saying “I married your momma, and then your dumbass shows up.”

David was not seen much at home during the 70’s and 80’s because he pretty much lived at Carrington Foods. Any mom will tell you that raising three boys is not an easy task. Raising three Carrington boys is in a league all by itself with levels of difficulty which have not been witnessed since. For the most part, Sally was able to keep them in line. Her weapon of choice was anything within her reach that could be swung such as fly swatters, ping pong paddles, hairbrush, skateboards, building blocks, tonka trucks, …pretty much anything that would not cause permanent damage. However, none of these held a candle to her most lethal weapon. The most petrifying moments in the boys’ lives came after hearing her say the words, “wait till your father gets home.” You see, Sally is the type of lady who follows through with things.

David was an avid and prolific smoker. His brand of choice was Winston Reds. At five packs a day, he was their most loyal customer. He would save the empty packs and redeem them for Winston “bonus bucks”. Every birthday and Christmas present given in the 80’s had a Winston logo somewhere on it. He smoked so many that the tobacco company agreed to hear his pitch as to why they should split the cost of a Cigarette boat if he named the boat Winston and painted that down the side of it. Slick was heartbroken when they turned him down. Nonetheless, he remained a loyal customer for years to come.

David had one other vice that could compete with his love of Winstons…the White Russian. Odds are that any photo taken of him between 1980 and 2015 will include a lit Winston and a mega mug…usually from Tom Thumb. The mega mug was his extra appendage, and he did not go anywhere without it. Freddie tells a story of how he and David got caught in a mini hurricane out in the Gulf on the way to Breton Island in the family’s 19 foot center console. A crew boat saw them in distress and rescued them by taking David and Freddie aboard. The captain wanted to cut the tow line because he was certain the small boat would capsize in the 20 foot seas, but Slick would not allow it until he went back on the boat to retrieve his mega mug. He didn’t think twice about leaving everything else on board to the mercy of the sea…including his briefcase which was always full of cash. The mega mug held coffee or a White Russian, and there were absolutely no alternatives. No matter the time of day, it was unknown which was in there because Slick never got sloppy. There are reports of two occasions when he was seen drinking something besides coffee or a White Russian... a bottle of water in the spring of 1998 and a half a bottle of orange Gatorade in the summer of 2006. When it came to holding one’s liquor, Slick was an absolute master.

Despite all this, David was unbelievably healthy. He loved coming back from a doctor’s appointment to say, “They are trying their best to find something wrong with me and it infuriates them when they can’t. Steve Lauten said I’m a medical marvel!”. Out of the blue, David quit smoking, and he never touched them again. The same pack of cigarettes from ten years ago still sits on the back of his toilet… “only to be used in case of extreme emergency”. Around that same time the doctor told David he had some terrible news. David panicked thinking it was something deadly like cancer. The Doctor told him he was lactose intolerant. This was a relief to David until the doctor spelled out the negative impact this was going to have on his White Russian consumption. Sadly, like the Winstons, the White Russians had to go to the wayside. David would later describe that doctor’s visit as being an emotional roller coaster of biblical proportions.

David always kept a humble opinion of himself. It takes a special kind of person to start a business from nothing. No one is born with a strong work ethic. A strong work ethic is forged by the constant battles fought to keep your business going and the absolute refusal to roll over when you get knocked down. In David’s mind, quitting was simply off the table. It never factored into his thought process, and that is the thought process that built this country. Family businesses are unique as they have the power to destroy or strengthen those family relationships. One’s true character is only seen in the face of adversity. The boys take after their father. They have very little to fear when their foxhole stands three wide. They have their dad to thank for that.

People of all ages have been calling to offer their condolences. Regardless of generation, there is one word that keeps popping up…. LEGEND. If you ever need cheering up, just mention the name Slick around a group who knew him and pull up a chair. David was an absolute legend and truly one of a kind.

In lieu of flowers, please purchase a carton of Members Mark crab cakes in the frozen seafood section of your local Sam’s Club or make a donation in memory of David to Mobile Baykeeper or Dog River Clearwater Revival.