Carrol Dean Joiner

Mr. Carrol Dean Joiner, age 85, passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2014 at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. He was born in Palo Duro Canyon in Briscoe County Texas on July 19, 1928 to parents Dan and Beatrice Joiner.

A funeral service will be conducted by Bro. John Withem of Shady Grove Baptist Church at Cason Monk-Metcalf Sunset Chapel at 2:00 pm on Monday, March10. Military honors will be presented at the chapel. Interment will follow at the Attoyac Cemetery.

Family and friends are invited to visitation on Sunday, March 9 at Cason Monk-Metcalf from 5-7 pm.

Dean is preceded in death by: parents, Dan Joiner and Beatrice Holloway Joiner; son, Richard Dwain Joiner; daughter, Carla Marie Joiner; brothers, Dwain Joiner and Eddie Joiner.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Shirley Marie Godsey Joiner of Nacogdoches; daughters, Ramona Joiner Marek and husband, Vladimir of Vancouver, Washington and Donna Carol Joiner of Albuquerque , New Mexico and Nacogdoches; granddaughter, Deana Marie Weaver and husband, Cody of Shady Grove, Tx; grandson, William Austin Haddox of Nacogdoches, Tx; great-granddaughters, Alexis Brooke Scarborough and Danielle Marie Weaver, both of Shady Grove, Tx; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Dean’s family moved from Tulia, Texas to the town of Portales in eastern New Mexico where they lived through the Dust Bowl during the Depression. At age 17 he joined the United States Marine Corps and served in World War II and Korea. He served in Marine Fighting Squadron 322 (VMF-322). He also served aboard USS Mindoro (VMF-225) as part of crew testing cold weather gear foreshadowing the coldest Korean winter. His overseas deployment included Marine Air Corps Station Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii; Okinawa, Japan; Espiritu Santo Island; Midway and Guam.

Stationed at Camp Pendleton, he was in Marine Observation Squadron (VMO) 6, one of Marine Aviation’s oldest squadrons, comprised of experienced WWII veterans and deployed to Korea. VMO-6 flew 7,067 wounded Marines to safety during the 30-month Korean conflict before returning stateside to Camp Pendleton in 1955. Military sources cite, “for its distinguished Korean combat participation, VMO-6 received three Presidential Citations (one specifically awarded to it as a squadron and two as an organic unit of senior commands), a Navy Unit Commendation, an Army Distinguished Unit Citation and three Korean Presidential Unit Citations.” Semper Fi.

Dean was baptized in Korea’s Han River in 1954. In 1955 he married Shirley Marie Godsey. Dean attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Tx and Texas A& I in Kingsville, Tx. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin University with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science. After his military service he worked with Westinghouse Corporation of Houston and Motorola Distributors of Albuquerque, New Mexico. After returning to Nacogdoches he finished his career working at Cason-Monk Hardware on Main Street in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Dean is remembered as a loving, kind, gentle giant of a man to his family and friends.

Online condolences may be offered at www.casonmonk-metcalf.com. Funeral arrangements are under the direction and care of Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors,5400 North Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75965

Arrangements under the direction of Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors, Nacogdoches, Texas.