Dr. Eddy Ford Carder August 24, 1956 – December 11, 2024

Dr. Eddy Ford Carder, M.Div., J.D., Ph.D. of Fulshear, Texas—known also to his loved ones as Dad, Eddy Ford, King Carder, and Eduardo—passed away peacefully on the afternoon of December 11, 2024 in Houston, surrounded by the family who adored him.

He was born August 24, 1956 in Bonham, Texas to Edsel Ford Carder and Morrell Trout Carder. Eddy grew up in Ladonia with his big sister Delores, baling hay, driving tractors, raising milk cows and caring for pet ducks, geese, and all kinds of other animals.

Initially not a churchgoing family, Eddy and his parents were visited by their town's pastor after his father's first heart attack, and they had what can only be described as a family conversion. The family was baptized together, and this experience completely changed the trajectory of Eddy's life. As a result, he began to consider pastoral ministry as a vocation.

Eddy had never even remotely considered attending college, but because he answered the call to pastoral ministry, he soon embarked on what would become a lifelong journey of study and teaching. After his first trial sermon was a success, he was ordained by his hometown church and was pastoring his first church by the age of 20, which he did while attending seminary and throughout the next forty-eight years of his life.
Eddy earned bachelor's degrees in psychology and social work from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerce), going on to receive the Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in philosophy and Ethics from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, even pursuing advanced education in hermeneutics at the University of Oxford and Cambridge University in the U.K. Years later, with his characteristic eagerness to undertake a new and challenging educational pursuit, he would attend law school and earn his J.D. at the age of 60 from South Texas College of Law Houston in 2016. The education that Eddy pursued provided the opportunities he so enjoyed to teach in higher education. He found the most joy in his years of professorship at Prairie View A&M University and his time with law students at South Texas College of Law Houston.

While Eddy's education certainly shaped his ability to serve people from the heart as a pastor, chaplain, professor, mentor, and counselor, it was his family life that gave him his remarkable depth of humanity and compassion. Eddy and his previous wife Brenda Moon Fenn welcomed their beloved daughter Taylor Lindsey in 1989. Justin and Taylor's daughter, Evelyn Mae, born in 2020, was the apple of her PopPop's eye. When on the piano, he loved to hear Evie yell, "PopPop, give me a song!"

Eddy married the love of his life, Doni, on June 24, 1999 and there was never a doubt the two were soulmates. They welcomed their long-awaited son Austin Rhett in 2011. Their angel daughter, Olivia Blythe, was born sleeping in 2015, and many will remember how touchingly he delivered her eulogy through his own grief. In Doni's words, "As a family, we talk of Livy as though she were in the room because for us, that's where she is. We find her everywhere." As we mourn his passing, we will no doubt always speak of Eddy in the same way, and we take comfort in the knowledge that Eddy and Livy are together at last, yet still with us as well.

Eddy was a great lover of all genres of music and an accomplished guitarist, drummer, and pianist. When he sat down at his piano, he would play his favorite gospel, country, Broadway, pop, Disney, and classic rock songs, often all in the same sitting and encouraging those in the room to sing along. Karaoke nights with friends singing along at the Carder Casa were his favorite. He loved to travel with his family, with Disney World, Hawaii, and New York City vacations being among his favorites. He thrived on seeing the joy and wonder of his family in new experiences and places.

Eddy would laughingly call himself the "Man of the People," but nothing could be more true. His humble attitude about taking on a new challenge was, "If I can do it, anyone can." He was adaptable and willing and ready to put in the work, and an average day for him might include facetiming with Evie and Taylor, doing laundry, translating Greek, washing dishes, helping Rhett with his logic homework, jotting down handwritten notes before a news appearance where he would be consulted as an expert on constitutional law and politics, and closing down the day with a nightly call to Delores. Some might have called him a "Renaissance Man," but he would probably prefer the apt self-deprecating description of himself as "Need-Meeter" for the way he showed up unfailingly to do whatever needed to be done for the people around him. We will all miss his reminders that he was our "Need-Meeter."

Anyone who knew Eddy personally—including all who were pastored by him—can testify to his warmth, relatability, humility, thoughtfulness, playfulness, and love. The defining theme of Eddy's forty-eight years of pastoral ministry was his ability to meet everyone he encountered exactly as they were, for who they were, and to celebrate that. It was his mission to model the unconditional love, grace and mercy of Christ to everyone he met. Eddy didn't have to say the words, he embodied them, and for that reason he drew those around him closer to Christ. The joy he experienced serving in pastoral ministry filled his heart, even through difficult moments, and the love he had for his last ministry at First Wallis Baptist Church was immeasurable.

He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all of us who were so fortunate to know and love him.
Eddy is preceded in death by his parents, Edsel Ford and Morrell Trout Carder, and his beloved daughter Olivia Blythe. He is survived by his wife Doni Carder, son Austin Rhett Carder, daughter Taylor Lindsey Morrow (Justin), granddaughter Evelyn Mae Morrow, and sister Delores Robinson (Joe).

Eddy's family would like to thank the staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center for their exceptional care and kindness, and the countless friends and church members who visited Eddy and the family, brought meals, and supported the Carder family throughout his illness.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either First Wallis Baptist Church, or the Brookwood Community of Brookshire in honor of Eddy and Olivia Blythe Carder.

The Celebration of Life will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, December 21, 2024, at First Wallis Baptist Church, 6911 Westgate Street in Wallis, Texas 77485.

Condolence messages may be written for the Carder family at www.garmanycarden.com

Arrangements are under the direction of Garmany & Carden Funeral Directors, 1201 4th Street, Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281)342-4671.