Chester Peyton "Kit" Carson Jr., 75, of Springfield, passed away peacefully on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, surrounded by his family.
He was born April 7, 1943, in Washington D.C., the eldest son of Chester Peyton Sr. and Joanne Whinrey Carson. On Jan. 28, 1967, in Webster Groves, he was married to the love of his life, Martha Jane Coyner, who survives.
Kit was a 1961 graduate of Parkview High School. He was proud of his military service and retired as an Army Colonel in 1994. He was the Battalion Commander of the 3 ^rd and 75 ^th Field Artillery Units, based in Fort Sill, Okla. He also worked with the 83 ^rd Engineer Battalion.
He received a Bachelor and a Master of Science degree in civil engineering and construction management from Mizzou. He spent over 50 years in the construction industry as an estimator, engineer, superintendent and project manager. He was the second generation to take over the family business, Carson-Mitchell. He became the president and chief engineer in 1984.
He was involved in over a thousand projects for hundreds of clients both in the private and public sector. He was a member of dozens of professional organizations and served on the board of many of them including Ozark Greenways, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts of America, Construction Specifications Institute and Associated General Contractors Tax Committee. He also was a lifelong member of First and Calvary Presbyterian Church and former commodore of the Ozark Yacht Club.
His honors include the Lifetime Achievement Commendation from the Construction Specifications Institute and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Springfield Contractors Association. He was also inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni for the MU College of Engineering. He has passed on the gift of life by being an organ donor.
Also surviving are three children, Latisha Koetting (Chris), of Sedalia; Wendy Lissau (Mike), of Tulsa, Okla.; and Chris Carson (Farrow), of Springfield; three brothers, Jim Carson, of Ash Grove, Doug Carson, of Republic, and Jack Carson, of Florida; a sister, Tanya Goldsmith, of Austin, Texas; numerous nieces and nephews; and 10 grandchildren, Ashley, Hunter, Chandler, Sierra, Peyton, Michael, Matthew, Jacob, Holton and Bran.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, February 18, 2019 at First and Calvary Presbyterian Church, under the care of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Graveside services with full military honors will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Rock Prairie Cemetery in Halltown.
The family suggests memorial contributions to The Salvation Army, 1707 West Chestnut Expressway, Springfield, MO 65802 or the First and Calvary Handbell Ministry, 820 East Cherry, Springfield, MO 65806.