Richard Carroll

He was doing what he loved, working in his yard and taking care of his beloved wife Jan, who he has been with for nearly 60 years.

He was preceded in death by his mother Willie Mae Carroll and father Vincent Walker Carroll, his wife’s parents Cyrus Henry Sharp and Janet Cadman Sharp, and brother-in-law Cyrus H. Sharp jr.

Richard was born August 5, 1935 in Augusta GA, and raised in Georgia including time spent in Savannah as a boy when his parents worked in the ship yards during WWII. Known as Autrell by friends and family in his youth, he went by Richard both personally and professionally as an adult. Always kind and generous, as a young man, he spent the tuition he saved, to put a down payment on a home for his parents - opting to attend community college for his first 2 years. He then transferred to the University of Georgia from which he graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor’s degree in Science. He briefly taught high school Chemistry at Richmond Academy before becoming one of 13 students from Augusta to be accepted to the Medical College of Georgia.

Though he decided not to pursue medicine, his medical knowledge was utilized in the years he spent in the army reserves working as a medical specialist and in the medical lab as a phlebotomist. After leaving the military he spent time working for General Motors before landing what would become his career employment as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Parke Davis (later Pfizer) in 1963.

The same year Richard accepted employment with Parke Davis in Atlanta, he met his wife Jan, on a blind date. It was the beginning of an epic love story. They wed in 1966 and were happily married 56 years, and had two daughters, Traci and Karen. They set a beautiful example of love and friendship that endured all their years together.

Though he worked hard to take care of his family, he always found time to take special trips with Jan. He planned family trips to Disney World and bought family season passes to Six Flags over Georgia where they had many fun days. They also spent time as a family hiking, rock hopping, paddle-boating, and climbing Lookout Mountain in the summers in Montreat, NC.

He was never too busy to spend time doing things with his girls, including building them a swing set, reading bedtime stories, playing games, trout fishing, and weekend swims at the neighborhood pool. He even endured putting together the dreaded “some assembly required” toys every Christmas. He taught his girls how to ride bikes, took them to auto and plane shows, and daddy-daughter breakfasts at The Dunk-N-Dine.

He had a great sense of humor and always loved sharing jokes and funny stories. He loved gardening, tended a beautiful rose garden for many years, and often won his neighborhood’s Yard of the Month award. He enjoyed sharing stories of his life and spending time with family. He was a wonderful father to two daughters who he raised with love to be educated, kind, self-sufficient and independent.

After a 35-year career in pharmaceutical sales, where he won many awards as a top sales rep, he retired in 1998 to spend time with family and travel. Richard and Jan shared some wonderful trips to France, Canada, and around the United States in their early retirement years. Later opting to spend more time at home in Atlanta with family after the birth of their two grandsons, Patrick and Christopher. He was a devoted grandfather who doted on his two grandsons as if they were his own, and enjoyed watching them grow up, play sports, and achieve much academic success.

When his daughters were grown, he became a supportive friend, never failing to offer insight and advice when needed, and always ending a call with “let me know if I can ever help you with anything.” Richard was a lover of animals, particularly cats. All of his cats preceded him in death including his most special cat Merlin.

Richard is survived by his loving and devoted wife Janet Sharp Carroll, known to her friends and family as Jan, his two daughters Traci Carroll and Karen Harper and their husbands Jim Hunter and Sean Harper who he loved as sons, and his two grandsons Patrick and Christopher Harper. He is also survived by his brother Charles Vincent Carroll with whom he had a close friendship and loving relationship, his niece Mary Ann Carroll Collins (Glyn) and her son Carroll Alexander Johnson. On his wife’s side, he is survived by his sister-in-law Virginia “Jenny” Bailey (Ken), their children Adair Barnes Owen (David), MacCauley Barnes Braswell, Mark Bailey, Susan Bailey Nosbuesch (Manfred), Dorothy Bailey, and the children of Jan’s brother, Shirley Sharp, Lyn Sharp Littrell and Cyrus Sharp III (Nancy).

He was a one-of-a-kind individual who was cherished and deeply loved by his friends and family. He will be profoundly missed.

Visitation with the family is 10 - 11 am, Friday December 30 at Sandy Springs Chapel, in Sandy Springs, GA.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the University of Georgia Scholarship Fund, or your favorite charity.