Carmon Harris Huckabee, Sr.

Carmon Harris Huckabee Sr. went to be with God in glory on August 29, 2024 surrounded by family and friends. He was born in 1937 in Durham NC to Almeda & John Stamey Huckabee. Carmon served in the US Navy in 1957 & 1958 on the USS Tarawa. He graduated from Duke University with a degree in Geology, from NC State University with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering, and from George Washington University with a masters in Engineering Administration.

In 1959, he married the love of his life Laura Jo Quinn, and they had four children whom he loved deeply and encouraged in all their endeavors: Heather Jacob (Norm) of Johnson City, TN; C. Harris Huckabee Jr. (Madeline) of Fairfax, VA; Elizabeth Schreher (Jon) of Cascade, MT; and Laura Hill (Blaine) of Chapin, SC. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren who grew up in his legacy of honesty, hard work, and love for God and family: Norman, Thomas, Sarah, Gabriela, Isabela, Victoria, Sophia, Eli, Jack, Isaac, Joe, and Ellie.

Coming to Lynchburg in 1967, Carmon worked for B&W until retirement in 2000 as a nuclear metallurgist designing reactors and systems for submarines. Very much the engineer, he armed himself with a calculator and pocket protector, and counted many B&W colleagues among his closest friends. Outside of work he had varied interests. Music was one, from a young age. He played piano in dance bands, and clarinet and drums in marching bands. A longtime tenor in the Centenary United Methodist church choir, he also sang for many years with the Jefferson Choral Society. He made the coffee for the men's morning Bible study at Rivermont Presbyterian, and he loved and depended on the men there. He played tennis from childhood until the age of 80. He yelled for his kids during their swim and track races, and yelled at the TV during Duke basketball games.

Carmon was a lifelong outdoorsman who enjoyed owning and cultivating the land. He gardened vegetables, grew grapes, picked wild berries, made jelly and wine, hunted deer and turkey, canoed and fished the rivers, harvested firewood and planted many thousands of trees on properties in Nelson and Bedford counties.

His proudest moments were spent with family, bragging on them and exaggerating their successes. His best moments were spent leaning on his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There will be a viewing at Tharp Funeral Home in Lynchburg on Sunday September 8 from 5-7pm. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Centenary United Methodist Church in Lynchburg at 11 am on Monday September 9. Interment will follow immediately afterwards at Virginia Memorial Park in Forest VA (off of Rt 221 going towards Bedford).

The family would like to thank the home care staff of TheKey in Lynchburg and Home Instead in Johnson City, and the nurses and hospice staff of Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg for their loving care of Carmon as he travelled on his final journey.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.