Royce Benjamin Carver

1919 - 2008

Royce Benjamin Carver, 89, died of heart failure Sunday morning, Feb. 17, 2008, at his home in the company of his immediate family.
Funeral: 10 a.m. Friday at Arlington Heights United Methodist Church, followed by a brief graveside interment ceremony in Laurel Land Memorial Park, given with full military honors provided by a U.S. Army honor guard from Fort Hood. Visitation: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Greenwood Funeral Home.
Royce was born Jan. 23, 1919, in Petrolia. After graduating from high school in Davenport, Okla., Royce briefly entered the Civilian Conservation Corps until enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1942. He later graduated from Officer Candidate School and was assigned as an anti-tank platoon leader in the 104th "Timberwolves" Infantry Division at Fort Adair, Ore. In May 1943, he came to Fort Worth to court and soon marry Lois, before finishing up his pre-deployment training and then shipping out with his unit to Cherbourg, France, in September 1944. From this jump-off point, the Timberwolves made their push into Germany through the Siegfried Line and cut through Germany until they linked up with Russian forces at the Mulde River on the Eastern Front. It was here that he learned of the birth of his son, Darrel Eugene Carver, while they were encamped until VE Day. He returned safely to the U.S. in August 1945.
Royce retired from his 20-year U.S. Army career in 1961 after postings all across the U.S., once in Japan and twice in Germany, where his daughter, Beverly June Carver, was born. The Carvers then settled permanently in Fort Worth, where Royce began his second career with the Federal Archives and Records Center of Fort Worth. After he retired for good in 1982, he joined his wife, Lois, as a volunteer for Meals On Wheels and actively participated in many other volunteer community and church-related mission service projects.
As a devoted and loving Christian husband, father and model patriarch, Royce was loved, admired and emulated in manner and character by his entire family. He had a passion for fishing with his fun-loving family, and for golf. He took great pleasure in gardening, enjoyed woodworking, and thrived on domestic and international travels with Lois. He and Lois maintained many close friendships from the military and civil service, and even more deeply from among the members of their dear Co-Workers Sunday School Class of Arlington Heights United Methodist Church.
Royce was recently widowed by his beloved wife of 64 years, Addie Laura "Lois" Carver, on Aug. 17, 2007.
Survivors: Son, Darrel Carver and wife, Lee; daughter, Beverly Carver; grandson, Quinn Carver and wife, Susan, and great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Nate and Naomi Carver; granddaughter, Kelly Carver Strohkirch and husband, Scott, and great-granddaughters, Jordyn and Piper Strohkirch; granddaughters, Roya Payamipour with great-granddaughter, Camryn McWhirter, and Parisa Payamipour Ford and husband, Derek, with great-grandson, Alexander Ford; sisters, Wanda Young and Joan Wells; and brother, Jimmy Carver.