Danny Carroll

On April 5, 2023, Danny Carroll, age 80, left his family and friends for a better life.  A door on a windy day and a cup of sweet ice tea all conspired against him.

Danny was born in Independence where he spent most of his life.  He joined the Army in 1960 at the age of 17, and was stationed first in Germany, then South Korea, ending his enlistment in 1969 in a jungle in Vietnam, serving our country the best way he knew how, until a landmine sent him home.

After a lengthy recovery from his injuries, he returned home and married Connie Collier, and they had one daughter, Tracy.  Connie later died of cancer.  Danny worked several jobs until settling on a firefighting career in 1970.

Danny met his second wife Laura, and they were married in 1979.  He continued his firefighting career for another 16 years before retiring in 1995 as Captain of the IFD house.

He was a caring, funny, helpful, and determined person who maintained these traits his whole life.  Danny was generous to everyone, often buying total strangers breakfast, or giving money to children so they could enjoy Neewollah.

He enjoyed fishing, feeding the many birds at his home, watching the squirrel in his backyard, and “racing” his golf cart around town with his constant companion Midget on the seat beside him.  Some of his fondest memories, however, were made while traveling, and in earlier years he and his wife Laura could be seen packing the motorcycle trailer for their next big adventure.  Sometimes they rode with friends, but most times they hit the highways alone.  He often told stories about visiting all 48 states and was bummed out that he didn’t get to ride to all 50, (Alaska was too far and there weren’t any underwater highways to get to Hawaii.)

Later they bought an RV and began to travel to different locations, working in campgrounds and taking his grandkids along with him.  Many times, that two person RV would turn into a rolling sideshow with the three grandkids along.

Danny is preceded in death by his parents; first wife Connie; sister Marilyn Prather; and brother David.  Left to mourn him are his wife Laura;  daughter Tracy and wife Lorraine of Vista, CA;  daughter Ginger  Nelson and husband Brent of Independence;  grandsons Dalton Coda of Independence, and Clever Christman of Manhattan; granddaughters Dalice Coda and husband Ryan Redington of Grove, OK, and Whitney Nelson of Denver, CO.  Wyatt, Kingston, Paxson, and Poppy are the adorable great-grandkids.  Many nieces, nephews and friends also called him Dad, Grandpa, and Buddy.

He was a member of Masonic Lodge #107, a lifetime member of the VFW and American Legion.

There will be no services, just a quiet cremation.  Memorials may be made to St. Judes Children’s hospital or the Shriners Hospital for children.