Thomas A. "Tommy" Carty Jr.

Although the family and friends of Thomas Tommy Carty, Jr. would have loved more time with him on this side of heaven, he shared the best of times with those around him and made numerous memories to be long remembered. There was no greater joy in Tommys life than being with his beloved family. He was not someone consumed by material gains in life but by the satisfaction of putting his family first and doing the best job he could with whatever task was at hand. The mid 1960s was a period of great change in our nation as it shifted from the idyllic innocence of the 1950s into a slow burn of social unrest. Protest movements were at the forefront of discussion as more and more U.S. troops headed for Vietnam. Yet, Americans were still finding ways to have fun with the golden age of drive-in theaters and the uprising of the Beatles. In Muskegon, Michigan, Thomas Arthur Carty, Sr. and his wife, Patricia Ann (Witham), had much to celebrate too with the birth of their first child, son Thomas Arthur Jr., on April 28, 1966. He was joined in 1971 by his younger brother, Joseph, who completed the Carty household. Tommy, as he was called, enjoyed a typical childhood of the time. His parents both worked to support their family his dad worked for UPS and his mother at Hair Chalet. Meanwhile, Tommy took his role as big brother quite seriously and always took good care of his brother, Joseph. They liked to pal around doing boy things together, like playing baseball, though Tommy also liked fireworks, carnivals, parades, fishing and Saturday night at Thunderbird Raceway. Naturally, Christmas was his favorite holiday, and he loved the festivities of this season all of his life. Once in school, Tommy always had friends hanging around, and his trusted four-legged companion, Cody, went everywhere with him in his Jeep Wrangler. His family enjoyed many vacations together to Florida and Disney World, though Tommy talked a lot about his trip to England with his Grandma Wilhelmina. Tommy received his education in the Reeths Puffer Public Schools, and went on to graduate with the class of 1984. In time, he went to work for NuPak Solutions as a Foreman, and was a hardworking, dependable employee here for over 20 years. Tommy was known for being a perfectionist so his work was impeccable, and all the people he worked with just loved him. Although Tommys job was fulfilling, it was apparent that something was missing from his life. His family was always so important to him, and his dream was to have one of his own some day. So, Tommy decided to look at the personal ads online and he started chatting with a young woman named Kristy Houseman. Soon, they were talking on the phone together and then finally set up a time to meet for coffee. As fate would have it, Tommy and Kristy fell in love and were happily married on June 16, 2005. Kristy brought more than just her love into Tommys life though; she had three children of her own, Joshua, Kristopher and Nathan. Tommy welcomed these kids and enjoyed spending time with them. The couple soon had a child of their own, Zoey, who was the absolute apple of her daddys eye. Time together as a family was always important to Tommy and Kristy, and they enjoyed taking Zoey for walks on the beach and the boardwalk, on bike rides and visits to the zoo, and out for ice cream. Tommy couldnt wait to share his joy of the Christmas season with his daughter, and every year they would ride around oohing and aahing at all the beautiful holiday lights. He and Kristy liked to get away and visit the Shack whenever possible. Church was also an important part of their lives, and they were faithful members of the Life Change Church and part of the Bible study group. When it came to his leisure time, Tommy enjoyed being outdoors, doing yard work at their home in Laketon Township and playing with Zoey (there was always time for that). Woodworking was something he especially loved doing, and because he was such a stickler when it came to his work, everything he made was a masterpiece! It was said that Tommy was color blind, but he never let this hinder his work; however, his family made sure he never picked out his own clothes before going out. Although Tommy will be greatly missed, his legacy of love and dedication leaves his loved ones with wonderful memories and a strong foundation to look to for comfort. Thomas "Tommy" A. Carty, Jr., age 46, went to be with his Lord on Wednesday, June 6, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Kristy; daughter, Zoey Carty; parents, Thomas Sr. (Patricia) Carty of Muskegon; brother, Joseph Carty of Muskegon; stepchildren, Joshua, Kristopher & Nathan Johnson; in-laws, Dan (Sandy) Houseman of Twin Lake; special aunt & uncle, Jane (Robert) Singleton of Muskegon; uncle, Jim Carty of Muskegon; aunts, Donna (Chuck) McManus & Susanne Fitch; brother-in-law, Jeff (Cece) Houseman of Twin Lake; nieces & nephews, Lidia & Lliam Carty, Joey Champoux, Cory Anderson, Keicko Housman; cousins, Scott & Mike (Michelle) Singleton; grandparents-in-law, Stanley (Marian) Frederick of Muskegon, B. Jean Lindell of Montague. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Wilhelmina (Joseph) Witham, and Marvel (Don) Carty. Funeral services will be on Tuesday, June 12, at 1:00 p.m. at Life Change Church, 3084 Whitehall Road, Muskegon with Rev. Ronald Rands officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the family. Please visit Thomass personal memory page at www.clockfuneralhome.com where you may share a memory and sign the online guest book. Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon