Christopher C Carawan

Christopher C. Carawan, 94, passed away on Friday, March 13, 2020. Chris was born in Bath, NC on July 1, 1925 to Minnie O’Neal Carawan and Chris Carawan. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in electronics from the University of Maryland. On October 25, 1945, he married his sweetheart Alma Lee Barnes, and they raised 3 children: Cindy, Chris Jr. and Debbie. Chris, a sergeant in the United States Army 106th infantry division, specialized in radio communication. During WWII, he participated, endured and survived the greatest land battle, The Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded numerous medals, including the Bronze Star. As a veteran, he was an active member of the South Carolina Chapter of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge and served as President in 2014. He traveled to Washington, DC as part of the Honor Flight in 2017. He was a Christian who loved his family, church and his chosen profession as a furniture representative. He and Alma loved spending time with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They often travelled to the beach and the mountains with family and friends. Chris and Alma had their nicknames for each other, “Chicken” and “C”. Chris was a devoted member of First Christian Church where he served as Treasurer, Sunday school teacher and sang in the choir. With numerous furniture accounts and annual furniture markets, Chris was able to travel throughout South Carolina and North Carolina cultivating strong business relationships and lifelong friends. Chris was an avid golfer and loved playing golf with his wife, son and many friends and business associates. He was a long-time member of the Columbia Country Club and enjoyed trips to several of the tour stops of the PGA Tour, such as the Heritage and The Masters. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were two of his favorites. He was also a ham radio operator who in the 60’s and 70’s communicated with people all over the world. He had a 40 ft. tall tower in his backyard. At one time, he was the contact between a local resident (Dr. Weston Cook) when Dr. Cook travelled to the North Pole. Chris was preceded in death by his daughters Cindy C. Derrick and Debbie E. Carawan and two sisters and their husbands, Lottie C. Garriss (Mark) and Helen C. Roper (Linwood). He is survived by his wife of 74+ years, Alma, beloved son Chris (Renee), son-in-law George (Connie) and grand-children Todd, Shannon (Chad) Christopher (Jennifer) and Kellie as well as 4 great-grandchildren Will, Morgan, McCade, Carson and several nieces and nephews. The graveside service for Mr. Carawan will be held 12 o’clock, Monday, June 14th, at Fort Jackson National Cemetery with the Rev. Chuck Clary officiating. Memorials may be made to First Christian Church; 2062 N Beltline Blvd. Columbia, SC 29204 or to Colon Cancer Research. The family wishes to thank the doctors and staff from the V.A. Hospital for all of their care and concern.

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Christopher C Carawan

July 1, 1925 - March 13, 2020