Webb McNeill Carnes Jr.

Webb M. Carnes Jr, beloved father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2021 in Webster, TX. He was born October 25, 1922 in San Antonio, TX. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, he attended Texas A&M and the University of Texas. When World War II came, he enlisted in the USMC and was sent to V-12 training at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. After further training at boot camp on Parris Island, SC, he went on to field training at Camp Lejeune, NC. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in October, 1944 and shipped out with the 2nd Marine Division to Saipan, Japan. He participated in the Okinawa campaign and then the occupation forces in Japan after the war ended, landing with his disarmament unit in Nagasaki.

After serving in the Marines for 3 years, he re-entered the University of Texas and received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1947. He enjoyed his college days and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at the University of Texas. He was welterweight boxing champion at University of Texas in 1946.

He married Elleanor Catherine Graham in Houston in June 1950 (divorced in 1972). After briefly working for the National Cash Register Company in Houston, TX, he was called back into the Marines during the Korean conflict and honorably discharged as Major. After all the dust settled, he went to work for Cameron Iron Works in Houston, TX in 1952. Life in the “Oil Patch” appealed to Webb because he was always ready for a new assignment in a new place. He spent 34 years with Cameron Iron Works living and working in a variety of locations including Houston and Victoria, TX, New York City & Connecticut, London England and finally Tokyo, Japan. His business took him all over the Far East.

In October 1973 he married Pauline (Polly) LaFray Sparks of Allen, TX in London England and they had a wonderful life together. When he retired from Cameron Iron Works in 1986, Webb played golf at least 3 times a week, enjoyed boating, traveled with Polly as much as possible and enjoyed his extended family. He was active in St. Luke’s on the Lake Episcopal Church, serving in the vestry.

Having lived in so many places around the world, Webb made many friends, and one of his regrets was being unable to keep in close touch with all those great people. One of his prides was having lived and work in 3 of the largest cities in the world: New York, London and Tokyo. He was also proud of the many “brothers” he served with in the Marines.

Webb was predeceased by his wife Polly, his son David Graham Carnes and his youngest brother James Malcolm Carnes and previous wife Elleanor Graham. He is survived by his brother Richard Cole Carnes of San Antonio, TX and wife Eleanor. Immediate family survivors include son Webb M. Carnes III and daughter-in-law Suzanne, daughter Laurie Estupinian and her husband Tony, including 3 grandsons Gregory and Stephen Carnes and Ricardo Estupinian. He is also survived by step-sons Bill Dixon Allen and Robert Aubrey Allen, his wife Amorn and their 2 grandchildren Ryan and Rhianna Allen, and numerous treasured nieces and nephews.

Another of the “Greatest Generation” has passed on.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ForestParkEast-FHC.com for the Carnes family.