Dr. Thomas Joseph Carroll

SIBLEY, IOWA Dr. Thomas J. Carroll, age 87 of Sibley, died Thursday, February 15, 2007 at the Osceola Community Hospital in Sibley. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 A.M. on Monday, February 19, 2007 at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Sibley, with Father Clair L. Boes and Father Timothy Hogan concelebrating. Burial will follow in the St. Andrews Catholic Cemetery of Sibley with military honors by George E. Mudge American Legion Post 324 and the William F. Allard VFW Post 7373. Visitation will be on Sunday, February 18th, from 2:00 until 8:00 PM with the family present from 5:00 " 8:00 PM at the Walton-Roste Funeral Home of Sibley. There will be a Rosary Service at 5:00 PM and a Vigil Service at 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be directed to the Sibley-Ocheydan Community Schools Education Foundation or the Osceola County Historical Society. Born February 26, 1919, to John T. and Anna Marie Murphy Carroll in Lowell, Massachusetts, Dr. Carroll graduated from high school in Lowell. He attended Iowa State University, completed his pre-med coursework at Cornell University, and later graduated From Iowa State. Dr. Carroll graduated from the University of Iowa, College of Medicine in 1948, and interned at St. Joseph Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. In 1941, Dr. Carroll served in the U.S. Army in the reserves, and in 1943 was activated into a field artillery unit, later transferring to a medical unit. He was recalled to service in the U.S. Air Force as a medical officer in the Korean War in 1950-51, serving in Japan. After returning to Sibley, he practiced medicine in a solo practice in Sibley, Iowa until his retirement in 1984. Dr. Carroll was a Charter Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a charter diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice. In 2001, he was awarded a lifetime Achievement Award by the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians. In 1945, Dr. Carroll married Helen Horton at Sibley. Eight children were born to this union. In 1976, Dr. Tom and Helen were honored by Iowa State University as Parents of the Year. Dr. Carroll was active in community affairs, serving as president and lieutenant governor of the Kiwanis Club; board member, president and later chairman of the Osceola Community Hospital Foundation Board, and was a board member and president of the McCallum Museum in Sibley. He also co-chaired a committee which raised the funds for a memorial for the veterans of Osceola County. He was an active member of St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church where he served as a lay minister, CCD teacher and lector, and of the Knights of Columbus, serving as Grand Knight. Dr. Carroll volunteered daily for eighteen years at Franklin Elementary School, and also helped middle school students needing additional assistance with assignments. He authored From Saddle Bags to Helicopters, a short history of medical care in Osceola County 1871-1996. More recently, he researched and wrote a current history of the Osceola Community Hospital and of St. Andrews Catholic Church. In 2004, Dr. Carroll was awarded the Tradition of Caring Jefferson Award for Public Service by KELOLAND TV and Toshiba America Business Solutions. He was recognized as an Unsung Hero in the Senior Category for his extraordinary citizen service to his community. Dr. Carroll is survived by his eight children: Dr. Kathryn G. Carroll of Wilmington, Delaware: Mary Pat Davis and her husband Mike of Dunwoody, Georgia; Dr. Thomas J. Carroll and his wife Jean of Sioux City, Iowa; Barbara A. Nelson and her husband Chris of Stanton, Iowa; Dr. John R. Carroll and his wife Nicole of Carroll, Iowa; Theresa J. Carroll, Esq. of Signal Hill, California; James K. Carroll of Coralville, Iowa and Stephen C. Carroll, Esq. and his significant other, Jennifer Luce of Los Angeles, California; 18 grandchildren; a great grandson; his special friend, Mary Jane Jobes of Sibley, Iowa; two brothers-in-law, Floyd Horton of Green Valley, Arizona and Keith Horton of Topeka, Kansas and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Helen in 1999, his parents and his brother, John.