GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Husband of former Wolcott resident Janice Jankowski Jackson Carr, William (Bill) Curtis Carr III died on Feb. 3, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla., at the age of 78.
He was born on Nov. 29, 1945, in Gainesville, Fla., to William Curtis Carr Jr. and Dell Griffin Carr. As a child, Bill lived in several different cities, including Wabasso, Vero Beach, and Pensacola, Fla., following his father’s work for the Southern Baptist Committee.
Bill graduated from Pensacola High School in the class of 1963. He was senior student body president and was named football Player of the Year for 1962 in northwest Florida. He enjoyed playing football and singing in the high school chorus and choir. Bill had an exceptional singing voice.
Bill received a football scholarship to the University of Florida, where he was a three-year letter winner and was named offensive captain of the 1966 team, as well as being named a unanimous All-SEC and First Team AP All-American.
Bill was coached by the legendary Ray Graves, whom he admired immensely and was one of many of a larger group of “Silver Sixties” Gator football players. He was Heisman Trophy winner, Steve Spurrier’s roommate and center. They never missed a snap!
He was also named a member of the 1967 University of Florida Hall of Fame and is a member of the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and Florida Blue Key. He was a member of Carlouel Yacht Club in Clearwater, Fla., for 35 years.
Bill was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1967, but a ROTC obligation sent him to serve in the U.S. Army in South Korea. He was proud to serve his country as his father had. Bill met his wife of 55 years while at the University of Florida. Bill and Janice were married in Gainesville in 1968 at First Baptist Church in downtown Gainesville, where Bill’s father, William “Curtis” Carr Jr., officiated the ceremony.
The Carr family returned to Gainesville in 1970, and Bill entered into several jobs in the UF Athletic Department. He was named athletic director at UF in 1979 at age 33, then the youngest AD of a major university, and served until 1986.
In his tenure as athletic director, Bill was instrumental in expanding multiple facilities and bringing the athletics department out of debt. He also served as athletic director at the University of Houston from 1993-1997.
For more than 50 years, Bill had earned widespread respect as a high-integrity leader within the extremely competitive, dynamic industry of intercollegiate athletics. In 1997, Bill founded CarrSports Consulting LLC as one of the true pioneers in executive search and management consulting firms exclusively serving intercollegiate athletics. Under his leadership, as former president, CarrSports distinguished itself by consistently displaying integrity, expertise, and creativity while maintaining extremely high standards in more than 130 successful searches and 70 consulting assignments, primarily at NCAA Division I institutions.
His extensive work in athletic programs’ strategic planning required him to maintain a cutting-edge awareness of the major issues and trends of intercollegiate athletics. His most recent venture, as executive coach of Athletics Career Spear, used his vast knowledge of the unique features of the collegiate athletics search process to guide motivated individuals in their specific preparation for leadership positions.
Bill provided his keen insights on the rapidly changing and complex future of college campus athletics while assisting his clients in planning and executing their best individual career strategies.
Bill’s greatest love was for Jesus and his family of wife Janice and their five children, all of whom graduated from the University of Florida as third-generation alumni.
Bill is survived by his spouse of 55 years, Janice Jankowski Jackson Carr and his five children, Jason Carr, of Atlanta, Scott Carr (Pam), of Miami, Julie Carr Preston (David), of Ocala, Jordan Carr (Melanie), of Gainesville and William “Curtis” Carr IV (Morgan), of Atlanta. He is survived by his sister Betty Greathouse.
Bill was also the extremely proud grandfather to nine grandchildren, Ashton, Katie, Curtis, Erin, Hailey, Quinn, Jaice, Kaison, and Liv; and great-granddaughter Kylie.
He was predeceased by his parents William and Dell, and his brother Tom Carr and sister-in-law Jan Carr, and brother-in-law Jim Greathouse.
Bill was a man of strong faith and conviction. He was a member of Creekside Community Church for many years, and more recently of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
A memorial service will be at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 100 NE 1st St., Gainesville, Fla., on Monday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be live streamed at Holytrinity.gnv.org/celebrationoflife.
