Donald Carlton

Mr. Donald (Donnie) Alve Carlton, age 68, passed away Saturday, July 29, 2023, at Memorial Hospital in Bainbridge, Georgia. Services for Mr. Carlton will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 3, at Trinity Baptist Church. Pastor Brett Ellinburg will officiate. Beau Sanders, Luke Sanders, Jonathan Walterhouse, Joshua Walterhouse, Billy Gray, and Melvin Davis will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends one hour before the service, beginning at 10:00. Donald Alve Carlton was born April 16, 1955, in Thomasville, Georgia. He was the son of Leon Arthur Carlton (Laverne Gay Carlton, deceased) and Genova Carlton. On June 29, 1975, Donnie married Shirley Meadows. He and Shirley were blessed with 2 wonderful children. Donnie chose to travel all over America by way of being a hazmat truck driver. At the end of a career of 39 years, he had driven almost 2 million miles. Donnie was a charter member of Trinity Baptist Church, serving on the Board of Trustees, as a Sunday School teacher, and usher. In his younger days Donnie enjoyed fishing, although he always said the only bites he ever got were from the mosquitoes. Donnie is survived by his wife of 48 years, Shirley Carlton of Bainbridge; daughter, Marie Strickland (Roger) of Tallahassee, Florida; son Justin Carlton of Bainbridge; and grandchildren, Matthew Strickland and Morgan Strickland of Tallahassee. He is also survived by his mother, Genova Carlton of Forsyth, Georgia; sisters, Debbie Walterhouse (Jim) of Roanoke, Virginia, Sonia Ward (Joe) of Valdosta, Georgia, and Cathy Sanders (Jay) of Forsyth; and a large extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leon Arthur and Laverne Gay Carlton, sister Danita Carlton, and brother Joseph Carlton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Donnie’s honor to Trinity Baptist Church Missions Fund, 1865 Tallahassee Highway, Bainbridge, Georgia 39819. The family would like to thank the staff of Memorial Manor and Bainbridge Memorial Hospital for the dedication and care given to Mr. Carlton.