Charles Herbert Carden

Charles Herbert Carden, Sr., (Major, U.S. Army retired), 82, of Biloxi died Tuesday, July 28, 2020, after a 24-year battle with prostate cancer. He had been a resident of Biloxi since 1999, having moved here from Houston, TX. He was a native of Leesburg, Florida, and graduated from high school in Winter Park, Florida. Soon thereafter, he entered the U.S. Army where he served for 21 years, going from Private to Major. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tampa in 1971. Almost 15 of those 21 Army years, he spent in the Infantry, with his most recent duty prior to retirement being in Personnel Management. He saw two deployments in Vietnam, the first as Company Commander, Company D, First Infantry Division, and the second as an Infantry Advisor to the 48th Regimental Command, First Division. His decorations, medals and citations included Parachutist Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and Victory Device, and Purple Heart Silver Star with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster for his last tour of duty, and the Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster. While in the service, Charles attended the following schools and courses: Infantry Officer Course, Airborne Course, Infantry Office Advanced Course, Jungle School, Basic Instructor Training Course, Leadership Reaction Course and Personnel Management Officer Course. After retirement, he moved to Houston, TX where he was engaged in Dispute Resolution, a program of the Houston Bar Association, and later retiring from Houston Municipal Courts as an Assistant to the Presiding Judge. In 1999, he and his wife moved to Biloxi where he became a full-time amateur golfer, playing with the Gulf Coast Golfers Association for many years, and with friends and acquaintances in the scramble at Bay Breeze Golf Club at Keesler Air Force Base. He was a parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Biloxi, and prior to that was a parishioner at St. James Catholic Church in Gulfport, where he served as an usher and was involved for a period of time with the St. Vincent de Paul Society food pantry there. He was the son of the late Charles Franklin Carden and Irene Bacon Venable of Tavares and Clermont, FL. He is survived by “the love of my life” of 36 years, Carolyn (Carol) Martinolich Carden, Biloxi; two sons, Joel (Angela) Carden, Crestview, FL, and Charles H. (Patty) Carden, Jr., Largo, FL; two daughters, including, Terri (Kevin) Yalicki, Charlotte, NC; a brother, Ronald F. (Jessica) Carden, Clermont, FL; a sister, Lesia (Kevin) Hoffman, Carmargo, IL; and a stepdaughter, Jolie Dubuisson, Houston, TX; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, and two special little friends he referred to as “his boys next door”, Evan and Carter McCrory, Biloxi. Due to the Covid 19 social distancing guidelines and number of attendees allowed, there will be a graveside service at National Cemetery at the Biloxi VA complex, with full military rites, at 12:30 P.M., Tuesday, August 4, 2020. A Memorial Mass is planned at a later date when the Covid 19 restrictions are eased or eliminated at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Biloxi. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport is in charge of arrangements. The service will be streamed from the Bradford-O’Keefe Facebook. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy, P.O. Box 1228, Biloxi, MS 39533-1228, or to a charity of one’s choice.