Carl Richard Stephens, 80 of Hewitt, passed away on Monday, July 18, 2016.
Visitation: Wednesday, July 20, 2016 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at Lake Shore Funeral Home, 5201 Steinbeck Bend, Waco.
Celebration of Life Service: 2:00PM on Thursday, July 21, 2016 at Lake Shore Funeral Home, Waco, with Bishop Edwin Lipsey officiating.
Burial: Waco Memorial Park.
Carl was born September 14, 1935 in Hillsboro, Texas to the late Thomas Carl and Velma Pearl Miller Stephens. Carl married the love of his life, Betty Ruth Lipsey, on January 25, 1964. Carl worked for many years at General Tire here in Waco and upon retiring from there he worked for several more years for the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office as a jailer. Watching Nascar and the Dallas Cowboy’s, were two of Carl’s favorite pastimes. Carl was a true animal lover, having numerous cats over the years and one loving pup. He also enjoyed vacationing to Canada and Yellowstone. Carl was known to be a jokester, was loved by many and will be missed by everyone. Carl is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Velma Stephens; his wife of over 45 years, Betty Ruth Stephens; and his brother, Bob Stephens.
Carl leaves behind to cherish his memory his loving daughter, Melinda Stephens of Waxahachie; his brother, Bill Stephens; “Betty’s nephew”, Lance Marshall; along with numerous other loving family members and friends, like his best friend, Sherman Gamble
Carl’s family requests memorial donations in his memory to be sent for Melanoma Skin Cancer Research and American Heart Association.
Contact Information:
Lake Shore Funeral Home & Cremation Services
Place of Service: Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel , 5201 Steinbeck Bend; Waco, TX 76708
Print Obituary & Condolences
Melinda I’m so sorry for your loss . I met your dad thru your mother. We worked together at the clinic for years together. Your parents were very giving and compassionate people. They were just good people and I’m glad that I got to have them in my life . Carl was the jokester and Betty was the serious one in the family. I will miss all the hugs when Carl came to the clinic and his smile. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Vickie
Melinda
So sorry to read in paper that your dad past away Betty loved him and you were the joy of both of them
God bless you
On behalf of the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, we offer our condolences to your family. We all loved working with Carl so very much! He was a great man, and treated everyone with the utmost respect. Your family will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Uncle Carl Richard was one of the best. I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded with great women and great men and he was definitely one of them. He loved my Aunt Betty so much he never really got over her being gone but he had his baby girl and oh how he loved her! Melinda you know how I feel about you I know it’s going to be hard and the road ahead looks very dark but you’ve got me and your friends and other family members who are always going to be there for you. Anytime day or night you can call me and I promise I’ll answer and if I don’t I’ll call you back as soon as I can ( that’s an inside joke) I love you very much but you know that! Praying for you always. You were loved by your parents so much! Our parents are finally all together again that’s not a bad thing!
I worked with Carl on the evening shift at the county jail. He was a great man, smile on his face talking about the times he worked with my dad at General Tire. I am sorry for you loss. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family.
Carl and I enjoyed many Breakfasts together. Laughing and watching Dallas Cowboys . He was a good friend
And will be greatly missed. R I P my friend.
My Dad My Hero
Anyone who knows me knows that I was truly a Daddy’s girl.
I have so many wonderful things that I can say about my Daddy. He was larger than life and the only man that I thought might have been able to walk on water other than Jesus Christ.
His unwavering love for me and my mother was evident every day – in his thoughts, his actions and his words. Their love was a love that has endured even after the passing of my mother. She was the love of his life and he was hers. Over their courtship from 1962 to 1964, volumes of love letters were written back and forth. Fortunately, Mother and Daddy saved the letters and I had the most precious ability to read some of these letters last night. I knew they existed, but Daddy never wanted to me to read them until after he was gone. Over and over the lasting theme of the letters was a love that knew no limit, no bounds. What a precious gift I had to be able to read through and understand what I already knew, my parents were deeply in love and this love was evident everyday they were together and beyond.
My Daddy was one heck of a great story teller. He could deliver a joke and a witty response with lightening quick speed. He and mother would always give as good as they got and their friendship, even more than the love they shared, was the basis of their relationship.
Daddy was a hard worker. He worked 2 jobs just so my mom and I would have a better life than he did. He always gave graciously and asked for nothing in return. Well, he did sometimes ask for something in return like a ” fried one inch steak, creamed potatoes, gravy and homemade rolls.” To be exact. He often said that when he married my mother she thought she was in high cotton. He loved to take her on vacations and seeing the reaction on her face to the different places she was getting to enjoy. They went someone where every year.
Although my dad worked 2 full time jobs while I was growing up, he always managed to make to all of my games and high school events. He was truly devoted to me and my mother and the relationship he and I shared was truly a precious one. He was without a doubt the best dad a girl could ask for. When I was upset or sad, he would wipe away my tears. Discipline? Oh yes! He loved and he could into my business in a New York minute and I have to say, it happened quite often. In recent days I have been hearing what quite, kind, gentle soul my daddy was, I kept thinking to myself, quite? He was a kind gentle soul with a ferocious lion roar when warranted. He was our protector, our rock, our center.
The last ten years of his life were probably the most difficult taking care of my mother and then losing her to an unexpected illness. I clearly can remember walking into the nursing home and seeing him with his arms around mother in the recliner scooted all the way to her bedside. Again, it was a love that knew no illness, no sickness, no time constraints. It was a love rooted in the belief that Mother was his soul mate. The one.
Recently I was able to spend the most beautiful week with my daddy to my beloved Canada. Little did I know that weeks afterwards I would be writing this love letter to him. That week we bonded like never before, we professed our love and admiration for one another HE expressed how truly happy and proud he was of me. I had exceeded his every expectation. I was his daughter. He was my daddy. I know the Lord gave us that week to bond, but what I didn’t know at the time was that it was the last opportunity we would have to really communicate how we felt about one another. I will cherish those moments for the rest of my life. My daddy, my hero, my best friend. I love you twice as much as you love me. Forever in my heart and on my mind