R,I,P, my friend. I'll never forget your blue 65 Mustang 500KR. Thanx for the memories! 😢

Some of my favorite experiences and memories come from the Carroll house. Sleepovers, basketball, movie nights the warmth, welcome and love. Thank you for blessing us with your beautiful children, making your family and home open and loving. God bless the Carroll family, condolences and love.

Big Mike, I am 800 miles away, but knowing your Celebration is tomorrow, I was thinking of you today. I logged on to your tribute page. How heartwarming it was to find all of these wonderful pictures and a tribute video. It gave Patty and I a glimpse of your well-lived life. What a gift! I will share the link with all of your West High classmates. You and I spent 6 of our coming-of-age years together, both at Kenilworth and at West High--although I sensed that neither of us really lost the child in us. We loved to make each other laugh! We were football teammates and more importantly, friends. After those years, we saw each other at class reunions and at Cardinal football games. Each time there was a heartfelt hug. The photographs and video showed me so much of your early life, when you were a youngster with your family—years I never saw. In those images, you could see the closeness and love. I enjoyed seeing those decades after graduation, the ones we only got to talk about: playing football at PC; seeing the joy in your face when you were with your wife and kids; Big Mike at work with the background poster celebrating your sense of humor. What I saw was the same Big Mike I always knew: the generous man with the biggest laugh ever; a family man with so much love; a man who lived his life well. Goodbye old buddy! Your legacy endures and you will always be in our thoughts.

Posted on West High Class of 64 website: After playing football for four years with the Thunderbirds, Big Mike played for the National Champion Phoenix College team.  As a versatile defensive end and center, he was always key player. At all levels, Mike was the epitome of the good student-athlete and teammate. His grand sense of humor always kept his teammates entertained at those grueling practices.  Besides being a special athlete, Big Mike had a keen wit and intelligence. When we had a little break in practice sessions, he was always enlightening us with little known facts and gave us football players a much-needed education. 

I first met Mike, in 1958, at Kenilworth where he was given the nickname "Big Mike." It fit because he was such a gentle giant of a guy. All of us Kenilworth kids developed an intense admiration and love for our dear Coach and PE teacher, Joe Tameron. Mr. Tameron later became a principal before retiring in1989. In a sign of the community’s love for Joe Tameron, nearly 700 people showed up for his retirement celebration, “Mr. Tameron Day.” This included his ASU baseball teammate, Ladmo, who emceed, and Big Mike Carroll, showing what kind of loyal and grateful guy, he was. That day, you gave of your time to honor a man who was important in your life. Recognizing a wit when she saw one, an Arizona Republic reporter interviewed Mike. He was quoted, “Coach was very quick to chew our butts when we did something wrong, but he was even quicker to praise and even quicker to teach.” 

Michael, you always showed us what a good man you were, determined to be the best you could be. Never a bad word to say about anyone. Always trying to do the right and honorable thing. Keeping a sense of humor to help us through the trying times and always making us laugh!  We will miss you Big Mike, but we are so grateful that we got to share part of our life with you. You were special and will always be present in our hearts and thoughts. 
Love you man!

OBITUARIO

Michael Gifford Carroll

12 diciembre, 1946 – 20 agosto, 2025

A.L. Moore-Grimshaw Mortuaries Bethany Chapel

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