Carl Lockwood Driggers Jr.

Carl was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia Stephens, his father Carl Driggers, Sr., his brother Clarence Driggers, and his beloved dachshund, Chloe. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 56 years, Susan Driggers of Cartersville, GA; his daughters Barbara Addison of Rockmart, GA, Lorri (Mark) Wills of Cartersville, GA, and Melissa (John) Ruka of Fairhope, AL; grandchildren Natalie (Jeremy) Schmeichel of Sturgis, SD and Jenny (Webb) Smith of Cartersville, GA; great grandchildren Abbey Schmeichel, Judah Schmeichel, and Ellie Smith; sister Debi Leonard of Kennesaw, GA; nephew James (Katie) Leonard, niece Stacey Dorner; great nieces Avarie Fitz and Lily Dorner; and great nephews Andrew Leonard, Patrick Leonard, and Ryder Dorner. He is also survived by his “granddogs” and “grandcats”, along with many other family members and friends who were blessed by his presence in their lives.

Born in Charleston, SC on October 11, 1940, Carl loved the outdoors, especially fishing and spending time on the water. After moving to south Florida as a young boy, Carl developed an even deeper love for the sea and worked as a shrimp boat operator in Miami for several years. He loved telling stories about his experiences as a young boy and man, and his family and friends loved hearing them!

After moving to Georgia in the 70’s, Carl worked at the Coca Cola Bottling Plant in Atlanta for many years, where he developed many special friendships with his coworkers and customers. He was deeply admired and respected by his peers. Providing for his family was important to Carl, and he did so sweetly and sacrificially. He instilled a strong work ethic in his daughters by gently and lovingly teaching them to work with dependability, integrity and character.

Carl was truly a man of simple pleasures. If you ever had the blessing to spend time with him on the water, you saw him transform, come alive, and truly relax. His wife, Susan, has often said that he was born with salty sea air in his lungs and a fishing rod in his hand. He also loved taking leisurely drives with no planned destination. He and Susan loved traveling on day trips together, especially to North Georgia, just having fun exploring new towns with no itinerary. Family gatherings were also dear to his heart, especially for picnics on the Etowah River. He was also deeply devoted to long walks, playtime, and cuddles with his sweet dachshund, Chloe – those two were inseparable! He enjoyed Nascar and cheering on the Atlanta Braves and Miami Dolphins. Carl also just simply loved to laugh. He was a master at cracking jokes and had such a fun, good-natured sense of humor.

With his beautiful, gentle, and loving spirit, to know Carl was to love him. He touched so many lives and hearts with the purity of his love and kindness. He will be deeply missed by many here on earth, but we rejoice knowing that his faith has now become his sight, as he rests in eternity with his Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Among his final words, he proclaimed, “God is loving me to Heaven!” Indeed He has. Rest sweetly, our dear Carl.

The family will host a private memorial celebration at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Carl’s memory can be made to Chapman’s Dachshund Rescue at https://www.chapmansdox.com/donate.