| It is with great sadness to announce that Ex-Fire Chief (For 15 years), Founder, Secretary & Treasurer Thomas Edward Carriker Jr from Shepherds Fire & Rescue passed away Sunday March 9,2014 at Iredell Memorial Hospital. He was born on Nov. 27, 1928, in Cabarrus County, to the late Thomas and Beulah Taylor Carriker. He was a US Army veteran and graduated from Kings Business College in Charlotte. He was retired from the NC Department of Food and Drug. He was a long time active member of Vanderburg United Methodist Church. The membership of Shepherds wanted to pay our respects to a man who had a big part in creating Shepherds Fire Department so Captain Steve Taylor contacted Fire Chief of Yadkinville FD (Chief Bryan Southard) to let us graciously borrow the Yadkinville County Firefighters Assocaition trailer with all the necessary equipment to be used for a funeral. Shepherds membership took off all the LDH hose off the back of Engine 1 cleaned, detailed and outfitted the Engine for Chief Carriker’s last ride. Engineer and long time member Doug Southers who knew Chief Carriker had the honor of driving Engine 1 in the procession from Cavin-Cook funeral home to Vanderburg United Methodist Church for the final farewell. Thomas is survived by his children, Thomas “Tommy” E. Carriker III and wife, Glenda, Lou Anne C. Steelman and husband, Alan, Laura C. Rust and husband, Tim all of Mooresville; brother, Robert Carriker of Harrisburg; and grandson, Taylor Alan Steelman. Thank you Chief Carriker for all of your hard work, passion & dedication for giving the community members who live in the Shepherds district fire protection then and hopefully for many more years to come. |
