William V. Carnes

William V. "Vince" Carnes passed away on June 7, 2025 at the age of 81. He was born at the U.S. Navy hospital in Miami Beach, Florida, on October 13, 1943, to Dorrance O. Carnes, then serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, and his wife, Julia Gray Carnes. In 1948, the family moved from Miami to nearby Hialeah, where Vince spent the next 16 years.
A 1961 graduate of Hialeah High School, he worked at the Hialeah-Miami Springs Bank (now a Bank of America branch) until September 1964, when he joined the U.S. Air Force. Trained first as a Russian linguist at Indiana University, he then served in such diverse assignments as Darmstadt, Germany, and Trabzon, Turkey. In 1968, he attended Syracuse University for intermediate Russian, where he met his wife Tandy Quinlan, of LaFayette, NY, and they were married in April 1969. Later that year they went to Hof/Saale, West Germany. Eventually reaching the grade of Technical Sergeant, in January 1972 he had been selected for the "Bootstrap Commissioning Program" and attended the University of Nebraska (Omaha), where he earned a B.A. in American History (Russian Minor) in May 1972.
Commissioned through Officer Training School that August, he was trained as a Signals Intelligence Officer with assignments to Goodfellow AFB, TX; Elmendorf, AFB, Alaska; the National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland; and 1979-1984 as an Intelligence Staff Officer and a Senior Intelligence Analyst for the Air Force Assistant Chief of Staff/ Intelligence at NSA's Friendship Annex. In 1978, he received an M.A. in Personnel Management from Central Michigan University.
In June 1984, Vince became the Executive Officer of Air Force ROTC Detachment 150 at the University of Florida, where he served until his retirement from the Air Force as a Major with 23 years' service in August 1987. In October of that year, he began his second career with the University of Florida, first as Training Manager at Physical Plant and then at the Career Resource Center (CRC). He retired from the CRC as Associate Director for Operations in September 2010, again after 23 years' service.
From his Air Force career, he holds the Master Intelligence Badge and Headquarters Air Force Badge, and his decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal (1 OLC), Good Conduct Medal (1 OLC), and numerous other unit and service awards. During his tenure at UF, he received the Student Affairs Division Superior Accomplishment Award, and upon his retirement was honored with the University of Florida President's Medallion.
He was a life member of the Air Force Association and National Rifle Association; vice president of the North Florida Chapter, Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO); National Military Intelligence Association; the Clan Grant Society; the Scottish-American Military Society (S-A-M-S), and attended Queen of Peace Catholic Church.
Vince is survived by his wife, Mary Tandy Quinlan; children: Vince Jr., Jeffrey (Jennifer); Heather (Christopher) Kosky, and Holly Carnes; grandchildren: Andrew and Daniella Carnes, and Jacob and Gray Kosky; eleven siblings-in-law and spouses, fifteen nieces and nephews and their children; his cousin Neil Bard; his faithful companions canine Lady Arwen and kitty Zoey; and numerous friends of all ages for whom he held great affection. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of William, please visit our Tree Store.