Dan was not a complex man. He simply was a man of strong values and standards of which he lived by. He possessed the attributes of honesty, compassion, gentleness, calm, discipline, thrift, and above all he was a true gentleman. I discovered over the years he was a deep thinker, and he logically broke down the complex and made it understandable.
He exhibited thrift by searching the aisles of a store comparative shopping for the best deal, yet when it came to his friends he was extremely generous. Buying a friend an extravagant meal, or presenting a friend a quality gift for an occasion was one of his hallmark behaviors.
Dan had a gentle, kind, patient demeanor. Over the years he has had numerous special needs children in his classes. He spent extra time and patience with each to help them learn and feel like an important part of his class. On his classroom door one student wrote: "Hi Mr. Carroll, we miss you a lot, you're nice to me. Mr. Carroll I love you very much Mr. Carroll." A disabled man which Dan saw on a weekly basis worked hard selling newspapers. The man's efforts so touched Dan each time he saw the man Dan would give him $20. Matthew 25:40 tells us the following: and the King shall answer unto them, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
He was not a complex man, but he was multifaceted. He was a student, teacher, accountant, musician, golfer, hunter, and friend. When he made friends he kept them. I have met friends from every period of his life going back to the 1970s. He always planned ahead so as to have time with them. His friends were friends for life.
He cherished his beloved wife for whom he devoutly cared for throughout her illness. After he lost her he has maintain close relations with her relatives for more than a decade. They were his only family here in the Southwest. He made it a point to spend holidays and special events with them when he could. He always enjoyed their company.
His companion at home was a black Labrador retriever named Jet. He exercised her daily, provided the best preventive medical care, and proper food. He took her everywhere it was permissible. A wise philosopher who was born in the early part of last century stated "you can tell the character of a person by the way he treats his animals." Thank you mom for that wisdom. Jet's companionship helped a lot, but after the untimely death of his darling wife he was lonely. At times over the years I could feel his loneliness. Dan never complained about anything that I can remember. His loneliness was palpable. My family and I cared deeply for him and we were overjoyed at his finding Maryadele. In recent months he had a renewed energy and joy in his voice, and an extra spring in his step. He was as happy and giddy as a teenager in love.
Dan and I shared many adventures and some misadventures. Once while hunting a desert lake we brought down a bird (Cormorant) which had the demeanor and appearance of a pterodactyl. It held Dan and Jet at bay for 10 minutes. While driving down the road trying to decide if we had mistakenly broke the law or damaged an endangered species we discussed the problem. I found the identity of the pterodactyl and we tried to formulate a defense for our actions. Dan suggested that while addressing the wildlife commission that we present our explanation in a good news bad news format. The good news is the once thought to be extinct bird is in fact not extinct. We spotted 13 of them flying amongst the lake's other waterfowl. The bad news is now there are only 12. Dan and I laugh so hard that we began to cry. He had to pull off the road to avoid crashing. The species is okay. Over 100,000 of these birds nest together along the coast of west Africa each year.
Dan felt great joy at participating in the church choir. It carried a high priority in his life. He felt blessed that he could serve in his church and work with such talented professionals. He loved the members of the choir always speaking highly of them.
Of my friend I can say that he was an inspiration and example for us all. I feel proud and blessed to have known him.
A. C. Smithson
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