Leon Arthur Carlton

Leon Arthur Carlton was born March 22, 1932, in Bainbridge, Georgia, to Curtis and Sadie (Bannister) Carlton. After graduating from Moultrie High in 1950, he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served until 1954, mainly in the Air Police. During his enlistment, he married Laverne Gay of Monticello, Florida. They had three children, Joseph (deceased in infancy), Debbie, and Donnie before Laverne passed away in 1956. Three years later, Leon met and married Genova Meadows of Cairo, Georgia. They have three daughters—Sonia, Danita, and Cathy.
Leon was ordained into the ministry in 1958 and served as a bi-vocational pastor to several churches in southwest Georgia, including Pine Forrest Baptist, Big Ochlocknee Baptist, Evergreen Baptist, and Mt. Pleasant Baptist. He spent all of his life in the woodworking and cabinet making industry, becoming known for his beautiful custom pieces. He retired from Strickland’s Cabinet Shop in Thomasville in 1993.
In 1974, Leon and his family moved to the Pope’s Store community in Grady County where Mrs. Carlton was from, residing there until 2016 when health issues necessitated they relocate near one of their daughters in Forsyth, Georgia. Also in 1974, the Carlton family joined East Side Baptist Church in Thomasville where Leon served as a Sunday School teacher, deacon, and in any capacity he was asked to serve.
On July 22, 2018 Leon passed away at the age of 86 in his home in Forsyth, surrounded by family, leaving a legacy of uncompromised integrity, unquestioned devotion, and unconditional love for family, country, and—most importantly—his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Genova, and his children and their spouses Debbie and Jim Walterhouse (Big Spring, TX), Donnie and Shirley Carlton (Bainbridge, GA), Sonia Wade and Joe Ward (Valdosta, GA), Danita Carlton (Forsyth, GA), and Cathy and Jay Sanders (Forsyth, GA). His grandchildren are, along with their spouses, Marie and Roger Strickland, Brooks and Niki Wade, Jonathan and Michelle Walterhouse, Justin Carlton, Joshua and Michelle Walterhouse, Beau Sanders, and Luke Sanders. His great-grandchildren are Jaiden, Levi, and Eden Walterhouse; Sadie and Lucy Walterhouse; and Matthew and Morgan Strickland. He is also survived by his sisters and their husbands Jane and Earl Pollock and Gail and Denny Norman, as well as a multitude of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Visitation will be held at East Side Baptist Church, Thomasville, on Thursday July 26, 2018 from 10-11 AM, followed by the funeral service at 11:00AM. His family will have a private interment at Pine Forrest Baptist Church in Cairo. Allen and Allen Funeral Home, Thomasville, will handle all arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting any memorials be made to the Mission Fund at East Side Baptist Church, 220 Colton Ave., Thomasville, Ga. 31792.