Obituary of Thomas L. Carson

Thomas L. Carson, 68, of Montour Falls, NY, passed away on Monday, April 22, 2019 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born on May 20, 1950, to LeRoy and Ida (Reynolds) Carson. He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Joyce Anne (Johnson) Carson, his sons Michael (Sally) of Sheboygan, WI and Jeffrey of Herndon, VA, his grandchildren Thomas Carson, Hailey Carson and Ashley Stubbs. Tom was predeceased by his parents, his brother Roy, sister Carolyn and his sister-in-law Janet Hoxie, who was dear to his heart as she was Joyce's identical twin. He was employed at Shepard Niles, US Salt, Schuyler Hospital, Dresser Rand, and briefly at RKB. Later in life, he was employed at Schuyler Ambulance as an EMT and at Vedder and Scott Funeral Home; his favorite, he used to say, was working with Dave Zinger at the funeral home. He also served as a Village of Montour Falls Patrolman, a Village of Montour Trustee, and an Odessa-Montour School Board member. As a standout athlete at Odessa-Montour High School, he played in several sports and excelled in basketball; he still holds the individual rebound records at Odessa. He admired his coach, Jack Davis, who led their team to two championships. Tom was named MVP twice. In 1999, he was inducted into the Odessa-Montour Sports Hall of Fame. Tom was awarded a basketball scholarship to Canisius College and was a member of the 1969 Canisius Queen City Championship Team. At 6' 8", his height was a great asset to his teammates. Tom was a volunteer member of the Montour Falls and Odessa Fire Departments and was an active firefighter for 43 years. In 1978, he was the first recipient of the Central New York Fireman Association's Firefighter of the Year award, after he pulled a man from a burning trailer. In 2003, he received the 2002 Alton L. Lewis First Responder Award because he was the first person on the scene of a fire or accident an exceptional number of times. He was Montour Falls Fire Chief from 2009-2011. He took immense pride in his family, supporting his wife and children in any endeavor. He often shared the accomplishments of his boys with others...always proud, always beaming when talking about his children and grandchildren. Tom was a hard worker, and his father-in-law used to say he was the strongest man he ever met! Tom was strong minded and not afraid to voice his opinion. He was quick-witted, and loved to make people laugh. He had many friends and was always ready and willing to help anyone in need. It was common to hear, "Just a minute!" or "I'll be right back!" as he rushed out the door to help someone, or to go over town. As a member of the Mechanics Club and Montour Moose Lodge, he valued his time with friends, and loved to sometimes play euchre and scat. He was a member of the Ponderosa Hunting Club and liked to hunt and fish. He was also an avid Yankees fan. Later in life, he learned to golf. He enjoyed his golf buddies and found the game relaxing and frustrating in the same breath. Tom liked most types of music, but especially his gospel collections from iTunes. He played music from his iPad every morning, and would sing along, as he had a great voice. His family and friends will miss the tall, helpful, outgoing, uplifting, jovial, strong, and determined spirit that defined Thomas L. Carson. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday, April 25, 2019 from 4-7 pm at Vedder and Scott Funeral Home, 122 N. Genesee St., Montour Falls. Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 11:00 am at the funeral home followed by burial in Montour Cemetery.