Obituary of Joe Donald Carroll, Jr

Joe D. Carroll Jr., age 66, beloved husband and former professional baseball player, passed away on Thursday, February 18th, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. Born in Drumright, Oklahoma, in 1955, he was the only son of the late Joe Donald Carroll Sr. and Reba Florence Carroll. Joe had over 30 years of experience as an environmental remediation contractor and most recently worked for AMX Environmental, LTD in Dallas. Baseball Career As early as Junior High, Joe's athletic ability was clearly visible as he became the star quarterback, a point guard in basketball, and a pitcher in baseball. He joined Coach Morgan at Will Rogers High School as a pitcher, and Joe ultimately led the team to the 1973 4A Championship. According to high school teammate and current Oklahoma State Senator Dave Rader, "Joe carried us on his back during the State Tournament." After school, Joe declined both the Detroit Tigers and the California Angels, who drafted him in the MLB Amateur Draft, choosing instead to play for the University of Tulsa under the tutelage of the legendary Coach Gene Shell. Joe, along with a host of other great TU baseball players, carried the Golden Hurricane to multiple top ten NCAA Division 1 rankings. Joe continues to hold several pitching records at TU, including career starts (43), career innings (327.2), career strikeouts (353), and has a career record of 30 wins against 19 losses. His 30 wins are the second-highest in TU history, following former Montreal Expos ace and TU Hall of Famer Steve Rogers, who had 31. After TU, Joe was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 14th round of the 1977 MLB Amateur Draft. Joe played with two Major League organizations three seasons with the San Diego Padres and one with the Texas Rangers and pitched in 107 games. Shoulder and knee surgeries ended his baseball career in 1981. Alcoholics Anonymous In 1989 Joe made a life-affirming decision to get sober by joining the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 Steps of AA and all the wonderful people he met over the years would define his life up until the last. One of Joe's final activities was to attend a virtual AA meeting with his buddies at The Gift in Dallas. In 2011 he co-founded the Lakeside AA Group in Rockwall, Texas, and it continues to be one of the strongest groups in the DFW area. The Grave Street AA group in Mansfield was also near and dear to his heart. A Big Heart Although Joe was from Oklahoma, he had a heart as big as Texas. His friends, co-workers, and sponsees all speak of Joe's incredible wit, loyalty, and humanity. In Randy Lasater's words, his best friend for over 50 years, Joe "loved cars, sports, and girls….not necessarily in that order." Among Joe's favorite things were music and golf. He loved the music of all genres, and he always looked forward to playing golf at different courses around the country. He lived a full, fun, and rewarding sober life and will be forever missed. On September 26th, 2019, after a near 3-year courtship, Joe married Rebecca Jeffers in a gorgeous sunset wedding in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is survived by his wife Rebecca and his 1st cousins Rick Horton and Lanel Douthitt. A celebration of life memorial will be announced soon, and in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The North Texas Food Bank in Joe's honor. Give Now - North Texas Food Bank (ntfb.org)