Jason Taylor Carr, Renaissance man and kind soul, died in his Minnetonka home, surrounded by his loving family, on November 1, 2018. He was 44 years old.

ALS won this battle, but it will absolutely not win the war.

Jason was an accomplished (including but not limited to, and in no particular order): son, brother, husband, father, brother-in-law, son-in-law, uncle, friend, musician, carpenter, philosopher and wit, life-long learner, docker of boats, outdoorsman, bibliophile, lover of dogs (no matter how neurotic), NPR-lover, intrepid chef, Auburn fan, history buff, creative and energetic playmate, teacher, vicious badminton rival, and writer. He was a luminescent gift to his friends and family; he loved making beautiful things, cooking beautiful food, making beautiful music, writing beautiful words, petting beautiful dogs, and getting himself and kids dirty.

Jason met his wife Danielle at the Savannah College of Art and Design, but the rock-and-roll road called to him early, and he left SCAD in 1995 to thrill fans with his guitar-shredding and song-writing for the band SMO. He toured for seven years and eventually traded convenience-store food and late nights for a different artistic passion – carpentry. His carpentry was truly a reflection of Jason himself: inspired, thoughtful and meticulous. His clients praised his creativity, his clever design work and his dedication to the craft.

Jason did not let ALS curb his adventurous and inquisitive spirit. As he battled ALS, he visited Florida and Mexico, and embarked on a five-week driving trip with his wife and sons to Alaska in 2017. He navigated it all in a wheelchair and with a sense of humor. He similarly refused to let ALS stifle his creativity and spent long hours carefully crafting his memoirs using just his eye muscles and an eye-tracking device. Never one to let the story write him, he dictated the terms until the end.

Jason Taylor Carr was born on October 18, 1974 at Northside Hospital, only three months after his wife, life-long best friend and partner in crime was born at the same hospital. He grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, but chose to lend his adorable accent and amazing Southern cooking to the great state of Minnesota.

He is survived by his mother and father, Howard and Nancy, his wife, Danielle, his sons, Caleb and Hollis, his sister and brother-in-law, Valerie Carr and Kurt MacDonald, his sister-in-law, Chole Hamilton, his brother-in-law, Mike Miller, his niece and nephew, Isabel and Jack Nagler, his mother- and father-in-law, Mac and Janine Hamilton, and countless family members, friends, fans, clients and strangers whose lives Jason touched and who are too numerous to name. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on November 30, 2018 between 4:30pm and 8:00pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Minnesota Public Radio.

Published on November 6, 2018