CARSON -- Richard C. Jr., (Dick), beloved husband, wonderful father, loving grandfather, and devoted friend passed on to join his Lord at the age of 80. Dick Carson died of heart failure suddenly on December 2, 2022.

Dick was born in Tulsa on November 11, 1942 to parents Richard Compton Carson and Jacquelyn Phillips Carson. He graduated in 1960 from Edison High School in Tulsa, and from the University of Arkansas in 1964 where he was president of Sigma Chi Fraternity. Dick married Wanda Hillman (Skinner) Plumlee in 1964. They had three wonderful children, Kimberly Anne, Lisa Marie, and Richard Carson III. After serving as an epidemiologist with the U.S. Public Health Service, he returned to Tulsa in 1965. Growing up in the entertainment field, he became the third generation, to be involved with and eventually head the family business, Carson Attractions, which began serving Tulsa's entertainment needs in 1916.

During his many years in the public events business, he provided his expertise in box office design and operation to arenas and theatres throughout the country, and to national and local promotion firms. Due to Dick's ongoing relationship with Col. Tom Parker and the promotion firm for Elvis Presley, Carson Attractions' expertise was called upon numerous times to travel into various cities to supervise ticket sales for many Elvis concerts. He also promoted and presented the Harlem Globetrotters in a multitude of cities. During his career, which spanned almost 50 years, Carson Attractions was involved in over 7,500 public event performances of all types-concerts, Broadway theatre, sporting events, auto and motorcycle racing, exhibit shows, rodeos, circuses and other arena extravaganzas. His firm also managed all ticketing for the Tulsa State Fair for over 40 years.

From 1966 until 1972 Dick and his family operated the Tulsa Speedway racing program on the Tulsa State Fairgrounds, and managed the non-profit organization Broadway Theatre League of Tulsa for over 20 years. Dick also was president of DeCa, Inc. the firm that operated the public and figure skating activities along with related sporting goods sales at the Tulsa Convention Center from 1966 to 1986.

In the 1970-80s Carson Attractions had fully staffed box offices to service events in all of the major venues in Tulsa, Convention Center, Mabee Center, Fairground Pavilion. He established offices in Oklahoma City in the mid-1970s and handled the majority of events in that city for several years, having fully staffed offices in all facilities in that city as well.

In 1983 he introduced computer ticketing to Tulsa, and over the years installed computerized ticketing in all of Tulsa's major entertainment and athletic facilities to provide one integrated ticket system for the city for the very first time.

An in-depth interview with Dick can be heard at: Voices of Oklahoma .

After a ten-year relationship, he married Sharon (Shine) Goode, in 2000.

Dick served on many civic committees over the years, including the executive board of the Eastern Oklahoma Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, an organization his father co-founded in 1949.

He enjoyed hunting, shooting, boating and was an avid scuba diver, diving far away destinations beginning in 1975. Enjoying diving so much, Dick got his three children certified so they could enjoy scuba diving also - an activity which they still enjoy to this day. An ongoing love for Grand Lake began in 1947 with his grandmother, at her home on the lake. Dick had fun memories of winning the very first KRMG Great Raft Race in 1973 with the Carson Attractions/Port Carlos team. And, he prized hunting and fishing trips with his son, Rick and the 3-day excursion on the nuclear submarine Augusta when his stepson, Dustin, was a submariner in the U.S. Navy. He also traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada with his many motorcycle buddies for several years on their Harley Davidsons.

He is survived by his adoring, and much loved, wife, Shine. Also surviving are Dick's extended families (with grandchildren) including daughter Kim Currens, and husband Joe (with Jane, Tristan and Carson) of Flower Mound Texas; daughter Lisa Grossman, and husband Rick (with Walker, Garrett and Abby) of Tulsa; son Rick Carson, and wife Shelley (with Katie and Caroline) of Tulsa; stepson Dustin Donohue, and wife Shelley (with Riley and Brooke) of Hillsboro, Oregon; stepdaughter Cynthia Donohue Bauer and husband Greg (with Theodore, Owen, Howard, Scarlett, Claudia, Nathan and Corina) of Owasso, Oklahoma; and stepson Scott Goode, and wife K.T. (with Greer and Harper) of Tulsa, along with the 19 grandchildren who will fondly remember their grandfather who they affectionately called "Captain". And, for certain, his little four-legged pals, Mitzi and Sandi will miss their "Daddy".

Services will be held Friday December 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM at Moore Funeral Home-Southlawn Chapel, 9350 E. 51st St. Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to one of the following charities:

Wounded Warrior Project .

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital .

Animal Rescue Foundation .