Carl Thomas Braun

Carl Braun, 89, died June 5, 2023. A native of Lafayette, Indiana, he was the son of the late Walter Louis and Mary Stingley Braun. Carl's lifelong passions - music, football, and duty to family and country - took root in that midwestern environment. As a boy, Carl sang with an Episcopal Boys' choir and participated in numerous Lafayette Park summer productions. His athletic life bloomed through basketball, wrestling, track - and football - at Jefferson High School in Lafayette. At his favorite end position, Carl won statewide and national fame at Jeff during the 1950 football season as the Bronchos were named mythical state champions.

At the Naval Academy, Carl continued his expression of music in the chapel choir and played football for the midshipman. A proud 1955 graduate of the Naval Academy, Carl later returned for a tour of duty at USNA as a navigation instructor. Carl's navy career took him to Naval bases in the mid-Atlantic, New England and the west coast with multiple deployments in the Med and Vietnam. Carl's last tour of duty at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth. Carl and Marlene quickly fell in love with this area and decided to put down permanent roots. With his masters degree from George Washington University and upon his retirement from the Navy, Carl returned to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard as a civil servant and eventually retired as a Supervisory Production Controller in 1994.

Carl's life was interwoven with the strands of family, church, and duty to others. Carl married his true love, Marlene, in 1957, and together they embarked on the Navy voyage. They quickly joined a church and the choir at every duty station. Once in Portsmouth, Carl was a loyal member of Monumental UMC and the chancel choir for over 50 years. As the family patriarch, he attended every chorus, band and school event during his children's and later his grandchildren's student years, primarily at Western Branch High School where he especially loved watching his grandson John play football. He and Marlene spent their retirement years enjoying their beautiful home and active church and musical life in Western Branch. If Carl was not found working in his much-admired yard, or watching ACC sports, he was out and about touring the National Parks and European travel destinations with Marlene. Their loving memories of 65 adventurous years are many.

Carl is survived by his wife, Anne Marlene Braun; daughter, Carla Anne Bell and husband Jett; sons, Richard Thomas Braun and Michael Louis Braun; three grandchildren, Jett Stuart Bell, John Carl Bell and Lindsey Anne Bell; and two great-grandchildren, Bryson Carl Bell and Devon Boudreau Bell. The name "Carl" has been proudly passed down through 4 generations of his family.

The family wishes to thank Bickford of Suffolk and ProMedica Hospice for their patient care of Mr. Carl during his final year.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 10, at 2 PM at Monumental UMC. The family will receive friends at Sturtevant Funeral Home, Bennetts Creek Chapel, North Suffolk on Friday from 5:30 - 7:00 PM. www.SurtevantFH.com