Carroll Wayne Leggett

Funeral services for Carroll Wayne Leggett, 74, of Lufkin, will be held Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Bob Harbuck officiating. Graveside services with military honors will follow in the Whitehouse Cemetery.

Mr. Leggett was born December 13, 1938 in Lexington, Texas to the late Dorie Lee (Long) and T.J. Leggett, Jr., and died Tuesday, March 5, 2013 in a local hospital.

Mr. Leggett retired as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy and was held with the highest regards by his commanding officers following 22 years of dedicated service while serving aboard numerous ships to include: USS Yorktown, USS Thor, USS Frank E. Evans, USS Blue, USS Coral Sea, and USS Lynde McCormick. He also served in the Far East on the USS Hornet, which operated as a unit of the Seventh Fleet in the Gulf of Tonkin with the mission of halting the flow of supplies from North Vietnam to enemy forces in the South. The Hornet also participated in three maritime exercises with the Navies from six other nations.
After retiring from the U.S. Navy, Mr. Leggett was also an electrical engineer for Rice University and a business owner. Mr. Leggett, as he would introduce himself as "John Wayne," never met a stranger. He loved life, laughing, telling stories, making jokes, the outdoors, bowling, dominoes and playing pool. He was an avid sports enthusiast and loved hanging out with friends and family.

Those family members left to cherish his memory are Carla and Terry Stone, Michelle, Stoney, Shelbi, Brayden, Adalyn and Tessa, all of Huntington; his sister whom he loved dearly, Lena Touma of West Palm Beach, Florida; niece and nephew, Shari and Dan Carpenter and great nephew, Casey Carpenter, all of West Palm Beach, Florida; nephew and niece-in-law, Tim Touma and Colleen Nicocline of Daytona Beach, Florida; aunt, Judy Troll of Tyler; son, Richard Leggett and grandchildren Angela, Samantha, Rachel, Roberta and Chevi, all of San Bernardino, California; as well as numerous cousins, other relatives and many, many friends.

Mr. Leggett was preceded in death by his father, T.J. Leggett; mother, Dovie Lee (Long) Leggett; aunt, Mamie Havard; and brother-in-law, Ted Touma.

Pallbearers will be Kendall Lisenby, Jimmy Bowman, Brad Parker, Rudy Kendrick, Marty Young and Chipper Dunham.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dale Bentley, Carmel Taylor, Bill Otteson, Wendall Williams, Johnny Addington, El Ray Woods and Paul Finley.

A very special thank you for all the love and care given by the wonderful staff of Heart to Heart Hospice; Patti Harris; nurses, Shelly McGaughey, Lisa Powell and Mignonne Snider; caregivers, Misty Herrington and Michelle Compton; Chaplain Bob Harbuck; and all the other staff who knew him.
Memorial contributions may be made to Heart to Heart Hospice, 209 Christie Street, Lufkin, Texas 75904.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening at the funeral home.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.