June 27, 2008

Monroe Carell Jr. lauded for generosity, spirituality

Theresa Laurence and Andy Telli, Tennessee Register

The Cathedral of the Incarnation was packed June 22 as friends of Monroe Carell Jr. celebrated the life of the distinguished Nashville businessman, philanthropist and faithful Catholic.

Before the afternoon vigil service, lines of well-wishers snaked around the Cathedral’s Fleming Center waiting to offer their condolences to Carell’s wife of 52 years, Ann, and their three daughters: Julie, Edie and Kathryn.

Carell’s faith was an important part of his life, said Father Pat Kibby, Carell’s pastor at the Cathedral. “Especially these last few weeks as he was dying, I would go over to pray with him and he was the one doing all the praying. And listening to his prayers, he was a man of deep faith. …

“God was not far off for Monroe,” Father Kibby recalled on June 20, the day Carell died after a long fight with cancer. “He was a God Monroe felt in his daily life.”

In recent years, Carell developed a deep affection for the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation. In the last year or so, he would visit the Dominican Motherhouse daily and pray in their new chapel. The sisters gave Carell his own stall in the chapel, said Sister Mary Angela, O.P., the director of novices for the community.

“He began to see more and more what our life was all about,” Sister Mary Angela said. “That became a much more significant part for us too as we walked with him in this last journey.”

A day after the vigil service at the Cathedral on Sunday, June 22, a private funeral Mass was celebrated for Carell at the Dominican Motherhouse, followed by burial in Calvary Cemetery.

A native of Nashville, Carell was preceded in death by his parents, Monroe Joseph Carell Sr., and Edith Haswell Carell. Survivors include his wife, Ann Scott Carell; three daughters, all of Nashville, Julia Carell Stadler (George), Edith Carell Johnson (David), and Kathryn Carell Brown (David); and six grandchildren, Julia Claire Stadler, George Monroe Stadler, Carell Elizabeth Brown, David Nicholas Brown, William Carell Johnson and Ann Scott Johnson.  He is also survived by his brother, James W. Carell (Jan).

Carell was educated at St. Patrick and Christ the King elementary schools and graduated from Father Ryan High School. He then served four years in the U.S. Navy. When he returned to Nashville, he enrolled at Vanderbilt University, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1959.

In the late 1960s, he assumed control of Central Parking Corp. from his father and built it from 10 lots to more than 4,000 facilities in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. Carell sold the company in 2007 in a deal worth approximately $725 million to the shareholders.

Pursuing philanthropy with the same energy and focus that he poured into his work as CEO of Central Parking, Carell was able to leave behind a “legacy of breathtaking scope,” Harry Jacobson, vice chancellor of health affairs for Vanderbilt University Hospital, said during a moving reflection on Carell’s life at the vigil service.

In a life noted for so many significant philanthropic gifts, one of the most prominent was the Carells’ donation of $20 million toward the construction of the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, which opened in 2004 and bears his name.

Carell remained a vital presence in the hallways of the children’s hospital until the end of his life, willing to rock “the most fragile newborn in his arms,” Jacobson said.

It was during these frequent visits to the neonatal intensive care unit that Carell showed all his vulnerability, Jacobson said, freely shedding tears at the bedsides the sickest children. The parents of these children often wondered “why this man cared so much about them,” he said.

Carell’s relationship with Vanderbilt extended beyond the hospital. He served as a member of the Board of Trust for Vanderbilt from 1991 until his death and chaired the university-wide “Shape the Future” campaign, which raised more than $1.25 billion two years ahead of schedule. The campaign was so successful the goal was raised to $1.75 billion.

Carell and his wife also established the Carell Scholarship Fund at Vanderbilt.

Carell’s philanthropy also touched the Catholic Church and many of its institutions. Cardinal William Keeler, archbishop emeritus of Baltimore, attended Carell’s vigil service and noted that “Monroe Carell was an extraordinarily wonderful benefactor of the basilica in Baltimore, enabling us to beautify the church according to its original design.”

Known as America’s first Cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore underwent a $32 million renovation for its 200th anniversary, which was completed in 2006.

Locally, Carell and his wife were major donors to Catholic Charities and were past honorees of the Bishop’s Celebration for Charity and Service, the lead donors for the Cathedral’s Handing on the Tradition campaign, and the diocesan Growing in Faith for Tomorrow capital campaign that financed the construction of Pope John Paul II High School.

Since 1996, the Carells have donated $50,000 annually to the diocese to fund the Ann and Monroe Carell Conferences, which bring in nationally known speakers twice a year to address parish religious educators. The Carells wanted all children of the diocese, including their grandchildren, who attended CCD at Cathedral of the Incarnation, to have a top-notch, enjoyable Catholic education in the parish setting.

In his remarks at the vigil service, Bishop David Choby expressed “profound gratitude” to the Carells for their commitment and service to the diocese. He noted that in addition to the Carells’ dedication to helping sick children through the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, “it was also important to them to build up the spiritual lives of children.”

One of the Carells’ favorite philanthropic causes is perhaps the Dominican Sisters. They donated a total of $13 million to the motherhouse renovation and expansion project several years ago, and served as honorary chairpersons for the sisters’ $46 million “Behold the Heritage” capital campaign.

The friendships that began with that campaign deepened in the years since, Sister Mary Angela said. “He became a member of our family.”

Carell loved the sacrifice and commitment of the novices and postulants in the community and saw them “as his grandchildren,” Sister Mary Angela said.

When he would see women visiting the motherhouse during a vocation retreat, Sister Mary Angela said, “he would stop to talk to them and tell them, ‘This is a wonderful thing to do with your life if you feel called by God to do it.’”

On his daily visits to the motherhouse, she said, “he wanted to see any sister that was around,” often thanking them for their prayers for him during his illness.

“He loved the sisters,” Sister Mary Angela said.

The Carell’s established two endowed scholarships at Aquinas College, one for novices preparing for their ministry as teachers, and another for a lay student in the teacher education program at the college.

The scholarships were typical of the interest Carell and his wife had in children and their education.

“He loved children and anybody who worked with children,” Sister Mary Angela said.

“That’s exactly why he got so involved with the Dominican nuns, because they were the ones teaching children about Christ,” Father Kibby said.

Father Kibby and Sister Mary Angela both said Carell had a deep devotion to his family.

During the vigil service, Jacobson described Carell as a man who lived with “passion and devotion.” The four cornerstones that anchored Carell’s life, he said, were his devotion to family, his spirituality, integrity and generosity.

Carell “believed in the truths he learned as a child, and these truths guided him,” Jacobson said.

People from all facets for Carell’s life, including his Central Parking and Vanderbilt University associates, and those connected with his favorite philanthropic causes were all present at the vigil service. A busload of JPII students in school uniform and the choir of Dominican Sisters, in their unmistakable habits, were present.

Father Kibby noted in his homily at the vigil service that for all his success in the business world, Carell could have lived a life of relative anonymity, “but it was his generosity that caused the spotlight to fall on his shoulders.”

Among his awards was the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award in 2000, by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the 2001 Vanderbilt University School of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Tennessee Hospital Association Meritorious Service Award in 2004 and the Easter Seals of Tennessee 2008 Nashvillian of the Year.

Carell was also made a Knight of St. Gregory the Great in 2004 by Pope John Paul II at the request of Bishop Edward Kmiec, then the bishop of Nashville.

Carell’s acts of kindness were not limited to large donations, as Deacon John Krenson found out while serving in Afghanistan during 2003 and 2004 with the Army National Guard.

Shortly before Christmas that year, Father Kibby had put Deacon Krenson’s mailing address in the Cathedral’s bulletin and encouraged parishioners to mail a Christmas card.

Among all the Christmas cards he received from parishioners was a two-page letter from Carell, Deacon Krenson recalled.

In the letter, he wrote about all the things happening in Nashville and recalled his own days in the Navy far from home, Deacon Krenson said.

When Deacon Krenson responded, as he did with everyone who had sent him a card, Carell sent another letter, and the exchange of letters continued through his tour of service.

“It touched me very deeply,” Deacon Krenson said. “I’ve never forgotten it. …

“Everybody knows about the public generosity of Monroe, … but I had a privilege to know the private generosity of Monroe,” Deacon Krenson said.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Gift Records Office, VU Station B 357727, Nashville, TN 37235-7727 or the St. Cecilia Congregation, c/o Development Office, 801 Dominican Drive, Nashville, TN 37228-1909.

Photo by Theresa Laurence

Photo 2: Father Pat Kibby, pastor of Cathedral of the Incarnation, where Monroe Carell was a parishioner, addresses the Carell family during his homily at the public vigil service for Carell held at the Cathedral on Sunday, June 22. Carell was remembered as a faithful Catholic and generous philanthropist. Also present at the service were Cardinal William Keeler, retired archbishop of Baltimore, second from left, and Bishop David Choby, far right. Carell was friends with Cardinal Keeler and helped fund the extensive renovations to the Baltimore basilica completed in 2006.

File photo by Rick Musacchio

Photo 3: In this photo taken in 2006, Monroe Carell and his wife of 52 years, Ann, talk with Sister John Mary, O.P., after a Mass at the Dominican Motherhouse celebrating the completion of the renovation and expansion of the Motherhouse. The Carells were leading donors to the project and developed a close relationship with the sisters in recent years. Carell’s private funeral Mass was held in the Motherhouse chapel on Monday, June 23.