In Honor of Dr. Joseph Donnell Carley, Jr.

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding educator, man of God, and dear friend of longstanding, Dr. Joseph Donnell Carley, Jr. Sadly, Dr. Carley passed away on Sunday, November 22, 2020. A home-going celebration was held graveside on Sunday, November 29, 2020, at 2pm in Thomasville, Georgia at Peaceful Rest Cemetery.

Dr. Joseph Donnell Carley Jr. was born on November 11, 1955, in Thomasville, Georgia, as the fourth of seven children to the late Mr. Joseph Eugene Carley, Sr. and Mrs. Rosamond Louise ``Colvin'' Carley. He grew up in the Tockwotten community and went on to earn an Associate's degree in Biology and Early Childhood Education from Birdwood Junior College (now Thomas University); a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Valdosta State University (then Valdosta State College); and a Master's in Early Childhood Education from Valdosta State University. In addition to receiving an honorary Doctorate degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of America, an affiliate of New York University, he also attended Continuing Education training for Early Childhood Education for Child Care leaders with the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation's National Administrators Credential (NECPA-NAC) and at University of Georgia, Albany State University, Bainbridge College, and Georgia State University.

Dr. Carley had an immense passion for knowledge and bettering the lives of others through teaching. During his professional career as an educator, he taught at every level of education. He was the owner of Mu-Dear Child Care Center and Preparatory Preschool, where he served in a number of roles for 39 years. He taught in the Thomas County School System, the Thomasville City School System, and the Bainbridge State Hospital Special Education Department, also serving as an Adjunct Professor at Albany State University and Thomas University. In addition to his extensive career in Education and Administration, he was also a Consultant, Gospel Announcer, Gospel Recording Artist, Motivational Speaker, Counselor, Mentor, School Board Member, and a National Instructor for the NECPA-NAC.

Dr. George Washington Carver once said, ``No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.'' We are so blessed that Dr. Joseph Donnell Carley, Jr. passed this way and shared with us his legacy of service that will stand the test of time. Surely, the pearls of wisdom that Dr. Carley has given to all those whose lives he has touched will forever resonate in their hearts and spirits.

On a personal note, Donnell Carley wowed me as a dynamic choral director of soul stirring capacity. His body drama in directing a gospel choir drove countless congregations to stand on their feet and wave their hands during worship and concert renditions. His passion for excellence and his God-given talents made a joyful noise of praise to God from whom all blessings flow.

Donnell's zeal for Early Childhood Education, his years of dedication to Mu-Dear's Child Care Center, and his effective service on the Thomasville City Board of Education resulted in numerous phone calls, letters, and visits to my Congressional Office in Washington, DC. in support of improving education in America. Over the 28 years that I have known Dr. Carley, he has given me sage advice and counsel. He was direct and always told me not what he thought I wanted to hear, but what he thought I needed to hear.

Dr. Carley was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Armogene, but his legacy lives on through his siblings Barbara, Susan, Gail, Rosamond, and Eugene; and a host of family and friends, who will miss him dearly.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the more than 730,000 residents of Georgia's Second Congressional District, in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Joseph Donnell Carley, Jr. and in extending our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time of bereavement. Moreover, we pray that we will all be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

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