Lt. Col. John Benjamin Carr, Jr., USMC (Ret) died on May 15 ^th in Bowling Green at Christian Health Care.

Lt. Col. Carr was born on August 15 ^th , 1928 in Taylorsville, KY, and enlisted in the Marine Corps in WW II on August 20, 1946. He was appointed to the Naval Academy in June of 1947. Graduating with distinction in 1951, he completed Basic School and Communications Officers School at Quantico before a combat tour in Korea with the 1 ^st Marine Division.

Stateside tours included Force Troops at Camp Lejeune and recruiting Officer in Buffalo, NY. In 1960 he attended Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, graduating with a Masters Degree in Engineering Electronics. He further served at duty stations in Quantico and San Diego. In 1965, Lt. Col. Carr served on a joint staff tour with the Defense Communications Agency at Colorado Springs and in Vietnam.

His final duty before retirement in 1970 was with the Naval Electronics Systems Command in Washington. Lt. Col. Carr's decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V.

Following a year of graduate study at Penn State University, he joined the Electrical Engineering Technology faculty at Western Kentucky University, becoming Program Coordinator. His academic career spanned 27 years. He was active in student affairs, serving as Faculty Advisor for the Semper Fidelis Society, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Lt. Col. Carr was a member at State Street UMC. He was active in the Lions Club, American Cancer Society, Boy Scout Leader, Chaplain for the Cumberland Trace Chapter of TROA, as well as Naval Academy 'Blue and Gold" Officer for Southcentral Kentucky. He was a Registered Professional Engineer and member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.

John was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Sherrill Ann Spears. He is survived by his son, Douglas B. Carr of Hopkinsville; a daughter Susan Gardner (Mike) of Bowling Green; Grandchildren, Sarah Dionne (Charles) of Maryland, Patrick Kerensky (Kathryn) and Colin Moss (Marilyn), both of Louisville, and Ryan Gardner (Genevieve) of Indianapolis; and four great grandchildren, Hazel and Cora Dionne, Julia Gardner and Landon Kerensky.

Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at Johnson Vaughn Phelps Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until service time at Johnson Vaughn Phelps Funeral Home

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to State Street United Methodist Church.