Man who died in plane crash remembered
Published: October 30, 2012
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ST. CROIX - A handful of friends and family gathered at Speak the Word Ministries on Monday morning to give final farewells to Attorney Darwin Carr, who they portrayed as a brother, father, colleague and friend.
Carr was one of four people aboard a Piper Aztec airplane that crashed into the sea about five miles off the coast of St. Thomas just before sunrise Oct. 13.
Passenger Valerie Jackson Thompson was rescued later that day and after a week of searching, the mangled plane was located on its top on the sea floor with the bodies of Carr and Rachel Hamilton inside. The veteran pilot, Capt. Kirby Hodge, still has not been found.
Carr, 51, was born in Washington, D.C., and completed his higher education in Virginia, where he joined the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, in which he still was an active member. He worked in engineering for a number of years before receiving his masters degree from the University of Texas.
He thought his life had a greater purpose and joined the Peace Corps, where he volunteered in Ghana for two years. He returned to the United States and pursued his law degree and was an attorney since then.
He had practiced locally as an assistant attorney general and had his own law practice, making appearances on all judicial levels in the territory.
Many people spoke of Carr during the service, and while the memories brought tears, they also brought laughter as the speakers shared stories about Carr's vibrant personality.
He was described as a lover of life, family and adventure. His close friend, John Benjamin, recalled how Carr sporadically would decide to go fishing or diving or out to play golf just as quickly as the winds would change.
"He loved his family and his friends, and he would do anything for them," Benjamin said.
Martin Rasheed Ahmad, Carr's best friend for the last 30 years, described him as a free spirit with an infectious laugh, who tried to envelop those he loved into his dreams and adventures. Ahmad said Carr was a lifetime learner and always was seeking knowledge by way of books of lifetime experiences.
A slideshow during the service offered highlights of Carr's life, including lots of shots of him swimming, traveling, golfing, spending time with his son and diving and fishing, with some of the images taken as recently as the week before his death, when he went spearfishing off St. Thomas with friends.
Carr's fraternity brothers made a special tribute to him and talked about his strong personality, humility and his love for the organization and helping people.
Carr is survived by his mother, Barbara Grau; his children, Jasmine and Harper Carr; five siblings and a host of friends and family throughout the territory and the world.
Services for Hamilton are set for 9 a.m. Friday at The United Pentecostal Church at the Paradise intersection on Melvin Evans Highway.
- Contact reporter Fiona Stokes at 714-9149 or email fstokes@dailynews.vi
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