Carroll Winfred McCoy

Amid the crash on Wall Street at the beginning of the Great Depression, the birth of a sixth-generation Burnet County native went mostly unnoticed. The only child of Leslie and Annie Mae McCoy, Carroll was born 24 October, 1929 in Lake Victor at his Grandparents’ Wood’s home. Growing up in Burnet County with no electricity or indoor plumbing, Carroll learned to love ranching and taking care of animals. After graduating from Briggs High School, he attended Tarleton State and Texas A&M, graduating in 1951 with an agriculture degree. Carroll took a commission with the U.S. Air Force after A&M and in 1952 married his high school sweetheart, Juanice Reavis. In 23 years with the Air Force, Juanice and Carroll moved around the world and had two children, Carolyn and Doug. They especially enjoyed living in an apartment on the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey and visiting Greece and the Holy Lands. In Izmir, both Carroll and Juanice hunted wild boar, helping to keep the animals from destroying gardens and orchards. The family spent four years in Virginia while Carroll was assigned to the war planning department at the Pentagon. After retiring as a Lt. Colonel, Carroll returned to his first love – ranching. He and Juanice built a retirement home on land next to his parents’ place where they raised Red Brangus cattle. After the fire department was unable to find his place when lightning set the pasture ablaze, Carroll decided to run for county commissioner. He served 12 years in that role, during which time county roads were numbered and addresses assigned. He was very active in the community, serving as a head deacon at Joppa church for over 30 years, as well as serving in the Briggs Community Association, the Burnet County Historical Commission, the Farm Bureau, and the associations for Tobey, Watson, Cauble and Bethel cemeteries. He retired after 33 years as the longest-serving president of the Watson Cemetery Association. After 54 years of marriage, Carroll lost Juanice in 2006 after her 20-year battle with cancer. In March 2007, he married Patricia Walter, a church friend whose husband died the same weekend as Juanice. They continued to live on the McCoy Ranch. Carroll was on his tractor doing what he loved when he passed away on 4 June, 2020 at the age of 90. Carroll is survived by his second wife of 13 years, Patricia Walter and her family. He is also survived by his daughter, Carolyn Liles and husband Kelsey who live on the McCoy homeplace in Burnet County; his son, Doug McCoy and wife Jenny of Marble Falls; grandchildren Sean Moore of Georgetown, Lindsey McCoy Reeves and husband Jeremie of Fort Worth and their daughters Sydnee and Paisleigh, Jason McCoy of Nashville, TN, Colin Moore of Mechanicsburg, PA, and Charles Kelsey Liles III of Pottsboro, TX. Whenever Carroll was asked what he was most proud of in his life, he was quick to respond, “My family!” Carroll strived to be like his dad, Leslie, who was his hero – the most honest, hardworking, wisest Christian man he knew who would do anything to help his neighbor. Carroll often said he was not supposed to live as long as he did because he suffered daily from arthritic pain and said he was ready to be with our Lord and to be reunited with ones who had gone to heaven before him. He will be greatly missed, as he was a hero to many of us! On Friday, June 12th at 11:15 there will be a military graveside funeral at Watson Cemetery located on Hwy 183 and FM 963.