FORT SMITH — John Garry Carroll,

Fort Smith, passed from this life on Monday, August 23, 2021, at Heart of Hospice.

Garry was born to Jack and Victoria Carroll on October 13, 1940 in Fort Smith where he spent his formative years, graduating from Fort Smith Senior High Class of 1958.

He attended the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, cartoonist for the Traveler student newspaper, and active in campus life. After graduating from the U of A with a degree in Advertising/Commercial Art, he moved to Little Rock, Ark., where his first post-grad job was Art Director/Copywriter at SM Brooks Advertising Agency. The next twenty plus years of his career were spent building and growing his own public relations firm, Carroll and Associates, Inc.

During this time he married his first wife, Carole Ann Coe, with whom he had one son.

Garry sold his interest in the agency in 1989, returned to Fort Smith, married Thelma Gail (TG) McCormack and was, for the next three years, Executive Director of United Way of Fort Smith, where he enjoyed getting reacquainted with the area. He then became Director of Corporate Communications at Beverly Enterprises. The couple remained in Fort Smith until retiring to their lake house in Bella Vista. Garry was an active member of First United Methodist Church, Bentonville. He loved to travel, play golf, spend time on the lake, and was a voracious reader. He especially enjoyed time spent with his friends, many of whom he had known since elementary school.

Garry was very creative, had a brilliant mind, keen wit, and a kind heart. He knew to whom he belonged, having publicly confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in March of 1951 at First Methodist Church, Fort Smith.

Because of health issues, Garry and TG moved back to Fort Smith in 2015 to be close to family. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Parkinson’s Disease and, following TG’s death, moved to Methodist Village Senior Living in December 2018. Our thanks to the special team of caregivers who took delight in his humor and loved doting on him.

Garry was preceded in death by his wife, TG Carroll, son Stuart Coe Carroll, brother James Richard Carroll, and parents Jack and Victoria Carroll. He is survived by two sisters, Ann Burgess (Robert) and Leslie Martin (Sid), both of Fort Smith; one granddaughter Samantha Carroll of Hernando, Miss.; three nephews, Kenneth Carroll (Lisa) of Jonesboro, Ark.; Chris Carroll (Mary Beth) of Brentwood, Tenn.; Scott Martin (Sara); and one niece, Holly Martin Davidson (Nick), also of Fort Smith.

He is also survived by TG’s sons Paul (Sandy) McCormack (Gretchen), Waco, Texas; William McCormack (Christie), Fort Smith; and John McCormack (Deana), Little Rock; grandchildren Nick Smith, Wes McCormack, Joseph Fisher, Brandel McCormack, Clark McCormack, Erin Stevens, Arden Roeder, Chase Garner, Eden McCormack, Evan McCormack, and Haven McCormack, and great-grandchildren Paul McCormack, Jessica Roeder, Barrett Smith, Braden Jones, Macie Stevens, and Hudson Stevens.

Celebration of Garry’s life will be held Monday, August 30, 2021, at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel at 11 a.m. Visitation will be one hour prior to service.

Masks are encouraged. Arrangements and cremation are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home. Burial of cremains will be at Oak Cemetery Colombarium in Fort Smith.

Donations in Garry’s memory may be made to the charity of one’s choice.