carty photos

Roland Louis Carty

Born July 18, 1918 - Died June 27, 1998

***********1918-1930***********

Born July 18, 1918 Paradise Rd. Aberdeen, Md. to GEORGE and RUBY Carty, Roland had two older brothers HAROLD & BILL and a sister

BERNICE to show him the way when he came in to the growing community of Aberdeen that was starting to blossom from the establishment of the new Aberdeen Proving Ground Army post.

Roland was the "baby" of the family for 6 years, and took full advantage of all the privileges that go along with that title, till the twins, BUD & LOIS came along to "disrupt" his "most favoured" status. But the life long "pampering" by women had been set!

Around 1930 Roland went to the White House and sat in President Hoover's Oval office chair, on school trip he paid for by trapping and hunting rabbits, then selling them to neighbors, 25 cents shot, 50 cents trapped and dressed.

He played with all his brothers and neighborhood friends, ice skating, playing soccer, softball & baseball. In the Winter they would ice skate from where the APG Army Health Clinic is today, all the way over to Havre de Grace along the Susquehanna "flats".

***********1930-1940***********

During his school years he once in trouble with his father. Roland won $200 at the Havre de Grace race track while playing hooky from school. Young Roland had hitched a ride to the track and received a hot tip from one of the grooms that knew him because Roland's father owned and ran a race horse there. The tip paid off and the "news" of the boy's good luck reached Roland's father's ears back in Aberdeen before Roland himself did. Later that afternoon arriving at home and complaining of a hard day in the classroom Roland's father George asked where the winnings were. Roland was surprised that his good news had spread so fast and turned all the money over to his mother for the family's rainy day fund.

In 1935 he started his working career, doing construction work and later became a fine house painter. When the Baker house with the large steeple needed painting, Roland drew a crowd as he swung around from a rope attached to the tip top of the steeple.

1938 he met Beatrice Combs while working at a tomato canning house in Aberdeen. The location of the canning house was on the site of the newly proposed minor league baseball stadium. Bea had come up to Maryland from her native home of Fancy Gap, (Carroll Co.) Va. to live and find work with other family members who had already moved to the area.

On Jan. 7, 1939 he married Bea Combs in Hillsville, Va. They came back to Maryland and on Nov. 26, 1939 their first child was born, Barbara Lou Carty

***********1940-1950***********

Roland and his new family lived in various places in Aberdeen. Market and Law Streets were home address along with Defense Drive in the new development called Swan Meadows.

Somewhere along the line Roland was an Aberdeen Policeman and worked for the famous Aberdeen Police Chief, Ben Ray. As WW2 drug on Roland enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944 and went far away to Bainbridge Naval Training Center in Port Deposit, MD. There he used his police skills and was made an SP that rode the fence parameter on old race horses that the Navy bought from Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore. In the evenings Bea would slip over to the fence with baby Barbara and give him warm coffee.

The South Pacific called, and Roland was stationed on a troop transport ship named the U. S. United Victory. There he manned 40 mm anti air craft guns and participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima. For his part in the war he received the Pacific Theater Ribbon, the American Theater Ribbon and the Victory Medal.

Returning home after the war armed with a letter of recommendation from then U.S. Senator Millard E. Tydings, Roland got a civil service job at Edgewood Arsenal working in the Transportation Division, Rail Road Branch. He rose in a 28 year carrier that started as a rail yardman to supervisor of the branch.

Aberdeen Soccer Match at old high school now Festival Park

***********1950-1960***********

On Jan. 14, 1953, his second and last child was born, Ronald Lewis Carty.

In 1957 Roland moved his family to 305 Custis Street and purchased the house a few years later.

During these years Roland enjoyed hunting and fishing and became involved, like his brothers and sisters, in the Aberdeen American Legion. Roland and Bea attended many social gatherings together and made many friends enjoying their post war years together.

During this time Roland played on many ball teams and Bea and Barbara would faithfully attend all of them cheering him on.

Aberdeen American Legion Softball at the Marylander

Family & Friends gather at The Suburban Inn

***********1960-1970***********

From 1961 to 1962 Roland was Commander of Aberdeen American Legion Post #128.

Roland became a very good Bowler in various Bowling Leagues at Harford Lanes in Aberdeen. He participated in Bowling tournaments all up and down the East Coast.

When "Ronnie" got old enough Roland stopped playing ball and started coaching Little League baseball teams.

In 1971 when Edgewood Arsenal was combined with APG, Roland retired from the Civil Service.

***********1970-1980***********

In retirement life he continued to work hauling crabs from Chrisfield, Va. to various sites in Harford and Cecil County. It was also during this time that Roland discovered the pleasures, and frustrations of a sport named Golf. He play with his old buddies Joe Tobin and Ray Bonsall from the Legion and also with brother BILL and cousin Grover.

R.L. Carty & Son Seafood Delivery 1973

***********1980-1990***********

Roland continued to fish, play golf and enjoy his friends and family until an event happened in Jan. of 1985 that changed the Carty family forever. At the age of 67 Roland suffered a debilitating stroke that partially paralyzed his whole left side. Some doctors said that he would never walk again, but Roland proved them all wrong and with overwhelming determination and help from his friends and family he regained his ability to get around walking with a cane. He once was invited by some of the staff at Perry Point Veterans Hospital, where he did a lot of his physical therapy, to come and speak to new stroke victims who were "in the dumps" over their medical situation. He always encouraged all of them to hang in there and fight for recovery.

***********1990-1998***********

Roland continued to deal with his stroke situation and stayed on the "straight and narrow" eating right, with the watchful eye of his wife Bea. She did an excellent job preparing him healthy meals in away that would taste good to him. On April 6, 1996 Roland and his children lost his beloved Bea to emphysema. Roland had showed determination once again as he nursed his wife and directed her medical treatment at their home. They had taken turns helping each other so much over the 57 years of marriage, and had a very happy life together with their many friends and family members.

Later in that same Summer of 1996 Roland met a widowed woman who had just moved into her son's house across the street. Her name was Hope Miller and they got to know each other by sitting on the front porch together and eating out at local restaurants together. Hope and Roland enjoyed each other's company so much you would never see one without the other. Hope helped keep all of Roland's medicines right and visited every day when he was in the hospital.

Roland Carty will be missed by many friends and family members. One of his best traits was a wonderful sense of humor and the ability to make all of us smile. We will all miss him.