Robert Carr

Robert Levere Carr
March 28th, 1930 – May 11th, 2020

Bob was born March 28, 1930 in North Lima, Ohio to Mavis Carr.  He was at various times a U.S. Air Force Mechanic, an Entrepreneur of an Air Mail Courier Service, a Pilot for the Forest Service and after being promoted several times; Bob retired in 1985 as the National Aviation Operations Officer for the Forest Service.  

During his time with the Forest Service Bob was instrumental in creating the MAFFS program.  The Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) is a self-contained unit used for aerial firefighting that can be loaded into a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a military cargo transport, which then allows the aircraft to be used as an air tanker against wildfires.  Bob was sent to Washington D.C. as the MAFFS program creator to be honored and to see the program inducted into the National Air and Space Smithsonian. Bob was also instrumental in starting the Infrared System for the Forest Service, where forest fires could be viewed at night and hot spots identified.  

Bob graduated in 1948 from North Lima High School.  He was an excellent athlete in high school; he played both Football and Basketball.  Bob was the Quarterback on the North Lima Football team and he was later inducted into the Schools Hall of Fame for Football.  He was also the Captain of the North Lima Basketball team and his basketball team was actually able to play the Harlem Globetrotters.  The Globetrotters were founded in 1926.  In 1948, the Globetrotters stunned the world by twice defeating the World Champion Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA and later Globetrotter Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton became the first African-American player to sign an NBA contract when he joined the famed New York Nicks in 1950.  However, in 1948, the Globetrotters played the North Lima Basketball team, and it was Bob who made the first basket of the game.  The coach stopped the clock and took a picture of the scoreboard and “Sweetwater” Clifton said to the rest of his teammates, “We have to watch that white guy” and pointed right at Bob.  

Bob met Jean Louise Bieber at North Lima High School.  She was the Valedictorian of North Lima High School and Head Cheerleader.  Jean was 5 feet 2” tall and Bob was 6 feet 4” tall.  One day during school they were both in the North Lima Library at the same time and Jean needed a book that was on the top shelf and she was not tall enough to reach it.  So Jean went over and asked if Bob could reach the book for her and get it down.  Bob was glad to reach the book for her and that was the beginning of their nearly 65 year romance. 

Bob married Jean Louise (Bieber) Carr on June 10, 1951 and learned to fly.  He served in the Air force during the Korean War as a Flight Mechanic.  After the war, Bob started his own Air Mail Service on the East Coast but then moved his business to the West Coast and resided in California.  He then sold his planes and went to work for the Forest Service also in California.  He was a spotter pilot when he first started and was responsible for helping save a town from burning.  The Forest Service could see that Bob was a natural leader and promoted him several times, which took him from California to Wisconsin to Boise, ID where he retired as the National Aviation Operations Officer for the Forest Service in 1985 at the young age of 55 years old.

Bob and Jean raised 3 children together in Boise, Idaho where Bob also loved to play golf, go to the Horse Races and Bowl.  Bob later built his dream home on a golf course in Meridian, Idaho and after his retirement from the Forest Service he became the President of the Idaho Senior’s Golf Association.  

Jean was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2002 and was lovingly cared for by Bob in their home until her death in March of 2014.  Bob and Jean were married for nearly 63 years.  That same year Bob was diagnosed with Kidney disease which then placed him on dialysis for the rest of his life.  

Bob passed peacefully at the Valley View Skilled Nursing facility, at the age of 90.  He was preceded in death by his wife Jean (Bieber) Carr and his mother Mavis Carr.  He is survived by his children: Robert Charles Carr and his wife Jody and their children Brittany (William Tyner) and Justin of Boise; Michael Lee Carr and his wife Patty and their children Jonathan (Elissa, Jonathan, August, Emilia) and Danielle of Buckley WA; and Karen Jean Mulhern and husband George and their children John and William of Eagle, ID.  And a very special sister-in-law Joan Carol (Bieber) Theis Gent and her Husband Tom Gent of Austintown, Ohio.

Bob showed all who knew him the meaning of hard work, humility, generosity, compassion and integrity.  He was a self made man and we are all grateful for the opportunity we have had to learn by his example.  Bob will be laid to rest in the Cloverdale Cemetery beside his Wife and Mother.