Edward Doyle Carson

Edward Doyle Carson, was born on February 6, 1936, in Cedarville, AR. He was the first-born child of William and Velma Carson. He graduated from North Little Rock High School. A couple years after graduating Doyle entered the U.S. Navy on February 29, 1956. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis while in the Navy, and after having surgery to remove one lobe of his right lung he was honorably discharged from the Navy on October 31, 1958.

After returning home, he married the love of his life, Phyllis Ruth Saville Carson on January 12, 1962. They were married for 59 years until she passed in 2021. Doyle was employed by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department where he worked for almost 40 years before his retirement in 1999. On Christmas Day, 1967, Doyle and Phyllis were blessed with a son, Jeffery Doyle Carson (Cheryl Simmons Carson). Then on May 29, 1970, their second child was born, Daniel Edward Carson (Angela Reddick Carson).

Doyle was a true provider for his family. He didn’t want to hand his family everything they wanted, but he did want to make sure they always had plenty to eat and everything they needed in life. During late spring through the summer months, Doyle would work many evenings in his vegetable garden. Doyle & Phyllis were a good team. Doyle would reap and Phyllis would help sow and would also can most of the vegetables. Through their efforts, the garden produced strawberries, green beans, purple hull peas (not black-eyed peas, as Phyllis would readily tell you), butter beans, pinto beans, squash, eggplant, okra, potatoes, and peppers (from bell to jalapeno). Doyle loved to eat fresh jalapenos. The hotter the better! He would even eat them until they made his forehead sweat. Doyle also planted fig, peach, and pear trees, which would bear fruit for some years. Wild blackberry bushes were a treat. Still not sure how he was able to keep them contained for all those years!? Not an easy feat! Can’t say the boys were a part of the team, as Jeff was often helpful, even though he was “forced” into helping, while Danny was rarely forced, as his help turned out to be not much of the good kind of help.

Doyle and Phyllis would always save enough money to make sure the family had a wonderful, two-to-three-week vacation with the boys every summer. The vacations were always road trips. The accommodations started in a tent, then in the back end of a pickup truck with a camper shell, from the camper shell to a luxurious cabover camper, and finally graduated to a pull-behind trailer. The vacation destinations ranged from Disney World, Daytona Beach, the Florida panhandle emerald coast, Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes, all over Colorado, White Sand National Park in New Mexico, and Yellowstone National Park. Some of these places have more than once. During the road trip vacations, Doyle would take his direction from his loyal navigator, Phyllis, and they would hit as many states as possible, so the kids could say they had been there. There were also countless trips to Mountain View and camping trips to Sylamore Creek, Choctaw, and Petit Jean Mountain on weekends. They also took the grandchildren on many camping trips, as well.

Jeff and Danny both married and provided Doyle (PawPaw) and Phyllis (Gran) with four new joys in life, grandchildren. In order, Alex Daniel Carson (girlfriend Anna Feldman), Stephanie Renee Carson Wise (Justin), Catherine Ann Carson (boyfriend Jeffery Alex Gaskin), and Alysa Hope Carson (boyfriend Stephen Gray). In 2020, Doyle & Phyllis were promoted to great-grandparents, as Alysa gave birth to Remington Hope Anglin. Walker Daniel Anglin, came along 8 months after Gran had passed, in December 2021. PawPaw loved his little buddies and would light up when they came to see him every week. 

The Lord called Doyle home on October 13, 2024, and I’m sure he’s up there providing in his own special way!

Burial will be at 10:00 AM on Friday, October 18, 2024, at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery. Visitation will follow at 11:00 AM at Smith Sherwood Funeral Home (7700 Hwy 107) with a funeral service beginning at 12:00PM.