There was a day when the Carroll's needed new mattresses and Gary & I owned a trailer.  I pulled our trailer with my Suburban and we went to Serta Mattress Factory and purchased new mattresses for the Carroll's home.   If you've never moved mattresses, you're blessed.  Mattresses are the most cumbersome, huge, difficult thing to move.  They need to make mattresses with wheels on them.  Anyway, I don't think I've ever moved as many mattresses that day as I have in my entire lifetime.  Lord have mercy! 

On this day while moving mattresses, Sammie began to tell us a story about his friend.  His friend was moving and they loaded everything onto a truck and placed mattresses on the very top.  His friend decided to sit on top of the mattresses to keep them from flying out.  Apparently, the driver of the moving truck was unaware he was going too fast, and the mattress became airborne with his friend hanging onto it for dear life!  The mattress lifted off the truck and quickly became a magic carpet ride for his friend.  The mattress landed in the highway and the truck continued on down the road, completely unaware that it had lost its cargo and passenger.  We laughed, and laughed!

There was a day when the Carroll's needed new mattresses and Gary & I owned a trailer.  I pulled our trailer with my Suburban and we went to Serta Mattress Factory and purchased new mattresses for the Carroll's home.   If you've never moved mattresses, you're blessed.  Mattresses are the most cumbersome, huge, most difficult thing in the world to move.  They need to make mattresses with wheels on them.  Anyway, I don't think I've ever moved as many mattresses that day as I have in my entire lifetime.  Lord have mercy! 

On this day while hauling mattresses, Sammie began to tell us a story about a friend of his.  His friend was moving and they had loaded everything on a truck and put the mattresses on top.  The friend decided he would sit on top of the mattresses to keep them from flying off.  Apparently, the driver of the truck was unaware that he was going to fast, and the mattress became airborne with Sammie's friend hanging on to it for dear life!  The mattress lifted off of the truck, and became a magic carpet ride.  It landed in the highway with his friend still hanging on.  The truck continued on down the road totally unaware it had lost it's cargo and passenger.  We laughed and laughed at Sammie's story!

I remember driving down the road in our subdivision one way, and noticed Alice Faye & Sammie on a vacant lot working to clear the lot.  Surprised, I stopped to talk to them and found out that they were soon to be our new neighbors.  Gary & I lived just four houses down in a cul-de-sac.  I was so excited they were going to be living in our subdivision!

They're house went up quickly, and in no time we were visiting them regularly.  Alice Faye and I begin to decorate her house and make draperies, pillows, bedding, and select accessories to decorate their beautiful home with.  My Elizabeth was very little at the time.  She was around 2 years old.  Sammie entertained Elizabeth and babysat while Alice Faye & I were busy making their house beautiful.  Elizabeth grew very fond of Sammie whom quickly became known to her as 'PawPaw'.    One day, we heard Sammie laughing and went to see what was so funny.  He said, "Elizabeth was brushing my hair, and said, 'PawPaw, you don't have no hair.'"  There were days we'd go to check on the two of them, and Elizabeth would be sound asleep on Sammie's shoulder.  He would be rocking her in his chair while he watched television.  He was so wonderful with children.  Elizabeth will always think of Sammie as her family and her "PawPaw".

Sammie was very intelligent on so many topics.  There wasn't any topic he didn't know something about.  He was extremely interesting to listen to.  His stories and knowledge were sometimes very amusing, as well.  I will miss Sammie so very much.  Such a fun, enjoyable man to be around.

Sammie has always fun to listen to.  His wisdom of mechanics was amazing.  I still remember him telling John all about his scooter when he got it and how fast it was.  He would talk about anything that had an engine and loved his shop!  He always had a smile on his face and never seem to meet a stranger.  You will be greatly missed, but we will see you again someday when they open those Pearly Gates.

What an incredible gentleman. always full of laughs and not a negative bone in his body. Loved God, his amazing wife,  all his family and his church. Many good times watching the Dallas Cowboys and attending Westgate Apostolic Church in the 70's and early 80's. This world can ill afford to lose men like Sammie Carroll, and he will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. 

 

We have lost a great Uncle and Friend. We will miss his great smile and his many musical talents.  Ken will miss his talks about history, he could recite so many great events.  He had so many tales about his time at the fire department.  Sammie was so good at putting up with in laws “get togethers” that over took the house on the holidays.  His presents will be missed but his memories will live in forever in our hearts.

The Carroll family  has been my friend for many years .Sammie and Alice accepted me as a family member and not just a friend. When I first met them I didn't know what to expect because they had more money than me, their son was a doctor, their daughter was a airline hostess, a beautiful home and I figured I would feel out of place around them. I have to say , they took to me with loving arms and I felt like one of them . I am truly blessed knowing them. Sammie will be missed because they were always a couple but he is rejoicing with the angels , knowing that we all will be together again one day soon. I send my love to Alice and all his loved ones.

Louise Sloan

I have so many fond memories of growing up with the AFD, just like Walt.   Sammy embodied and supported the family atmosphere at work and was as much of a friend as he was a leader.   His Captain's compliment would follow him into hell, and did on many occasion.  Jack Morrissey described Sammy so well.  
My heart aches for Sammy's family.....he will be missed greatly, but certainly never forgotten.
God's Speed Sammy -
Drew Palmer 

I was lucky enough to have the honor of working as a firefighter not just under Captain Sammie Carroll but in addition under his son Captain (aka Dr.) Walt Carroll who was assigned to the same station a few years after his Father had retired and prior to his heading off to Medical School.  

Sammie was the real deal.  He was a good Fire Officer.  He was a wonderful Father.  He was a devoted husband.  He was a gracious human being.   But mostly he was the kind of guy that you loved having as a friend.  

Time and distance is something we are often taught in the fire service with dealing with certain emergencies especially involving calls with hazardous materials.  The believe is to keep safe we start from a safe distance and limit the amount of time we may be directly in front of a dangerous material.  The sad part is that sometimes we approach life the same way.  We don't find the time and we move farther away.  I didn't keep up with Sammie after his retirement.  He lived south and I lived north.  Work and family have a tendency to eat away at our time.  If I have but one regret about Sammie's passing is that I never got to share with him my appreciation for all that he taught me about being a firefighter, a person and trying to be the kind of friend that people loved having a friend like that.  God bless you Captain Sammie Carroll and thank your for everything you taught me.   You will always enjoy a place in my heart and memory.    


I first had the honor of meeting Sammie while working for the Austin Fire Department.   I was assigned to his unit after completing my Fire Academy Training.  I can recall him coming up to me early in that first shift and asking me how up to speed I was on the knots I had learned in the Academy.  At first I figured I was being tested by him to see if I actually knew the knots.  When I nervously informed him that I was pretty good with the knots he suggested that perhaps I could review them with the rest of the crew some time over the rest of the shift while they were still fresh in my mind.  I was quite honored that he would delegate such a task to a brand new rookie firefighter but that was the sort of management style Sammie always used around the station.  It was never like he was skirting his responsibilities as a Captain.  He was simply providing us a work environment that encouraged us to initiate and complete tasks.  I always admired him as a Company officer for that and certainly always used it as a tactic myself when later I became an officer too.  

But Sammie's style was always one of gentle kindness.  He always seemed amused by all the interactions that took place in the station between the crews.   When he would join in the fun and the hijinks it was never with a sharp edge as Sammie was always too kind for behavior like that.  And he certainly kept us amused with his stories.  He'd been a firefighter for over twenty years by that time and took a great deal of his material from rehashing so many stories of the older days of the fire department.   He could also spin a tall tale.  Being not only new to the fire department but to Texas itself (I was a transplant from New York - {someone get a rope}), I was at times a bit of a gullible listener but the stories were often quite amazing.    From that day forward over the next 31 years so many of my stories started with, an old Captain I used to work for once told me.....



I am so grateful for the privilege of knowing Sammie.  I am thankful he visited our church while stationed at Bergstrom, and stayed to  marry you, Alice Faye,  becoming like a family member,  blessing us with the addition of Walter and Paula to your family.  His guitar playing was music to my soul and he always encouraged me in that field.  He always seemed to have a smile and it was obvious he loved his family, friends, and most of all,  the Lord.  I pray God comforts you and each family member during this time of loss.   

Great man, always friendly and assessable,  will miss our football talks (Cowboys ).RIP Coach Guthrie 

Sammie you will truly be missed. You've left a treasure of memories and a very strong family. You were a very loving and kind man. I was 13 when you married my sister and you have always been my brother.   I'm sure you will be playing some beautiful music in heaven.  Be assured that your family will  miss you and  love you forever and ever. 

A gentleman full of service & grace!  Sammie Carroll gave from his heart!  He loved God,  his beautiful family & his great country!! 
With love and prayers. God bless you richly!!

Visitation

Funeral Service

Graveside Service

Alice Faye Carroll

Marvin Carroll

Lura Carroll

Marvin Carroll Jr.

Sidney Lee Carroll

Neva McGee

Brandt Townsend

Dr. Walt Carroll

Rhonda Carroll

Paula Mardik

Captain Walt Mardik

He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Stephanie Ybarra and husband Raul Ybarra, Dr. Brandy Buckley and husband, Dr. C.J. Buckley, Tiffani Newsome and husband Michael Newsome; 6 great-grandchildren; siblings, Effie “Lynn” Mack and Elmer Carroll and wife Janet Carroll; many nieces, nephews, and a host of other family and friends.

OBITUARY

Sammie B. Carroll

January 6, 1936 – June 11, 2018

Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park

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