Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 8-27-21

Local
Checkers Champion Passes Away
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
A champion of pool checkers passed away last Friday, August 20, 2021, after suffering several health complications. A r t h u r “Moochie” McCarr was 82 years old.
For several years in March, Arthur “Moochie” McCarr hosted a tourna- ment for checker players in Tampa to celebrate his birth- day. He’d invite checker play- ers from around the country to join him. He even traveled extensively playing the game of checkers.
McCarr even taught the sport of checkers and chess to young people at the HOPE Community Center, where he held his tournament events. He once held a tournament at his church, First Baptist Church of College Hill. Mc- Carr credited the Andrews brothers (C. Blythe and Dr. W. W.) for encouraging his checker game as they made a place possible for the men to play on 29th St. when the men first gathered.
“Moochie,” as he is known to friends and family, once served as a Goodwill Ambassador for American Pool Checkers Association. He won several tournaments from the junior level to the master’s level.
According to McCarr’s only son, Sheldon McCarr, his dad not only played checkers and chess, but he
ARTHUR ‘MOOCHIE’ McCARR ...Pool Checkers Champion passes
also enjoyed bowling, joining several leagues.
A native of Tampa and the son of Arthur McCarr, Sr. and Ethel McCarr, Mc- Carr graduated from Mid- dleton High in 1956. He furthered his education at Florida A&M University, where he joined the “March- ing 100” as a clarinet player. His roommate was brass sec- tion leader Dr. Charles Bing.
When McCarr entered the workforce, he was em- ployed by Reynolds Alu- minum, Terminal Transport, Unijack, and retired after employment at Sligh Middle
School.
In addition to his affilia-
tions with checkers, McCarr was a member of the Ma- sonic Lodge and Shriners.
Other than his son, other survivors include: 4 grand- children, 8 great-grandchil- dren, sister, other relatives, and best friends, Dr. Leonard Campbell and Rev. John Anderson.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but slated for Saturday, September 4, 2021, at First Baptist Church of College Hill.
For additional informa- tion, McCarr may be con- tacted at (813) 784-6916.
Popular Community Activist Passes
A popular community ac- tivist passed away recently, and will be funeralized this weekend.
Ms. J. Delores Grayson passed away on Au- gust 11, 2021. She was 74 years old. Her service will be Saturday, August 28th, 2:30 p. m., with Aikens Funeral Home handling arrange- ments.
According to family mem- bers, in upcoming weeks the Tampa City Council will honor Ms. Grayson posthu- mously for her tireless work in the community, and her com- mitment to creating a better Tampa for everyone.
Ms. Grayson was a member of Bible-Based Fel- lowship Church of Temple Terrace, where she served as the Sign Language Choir Lead and sang in the choir. She was also a member of the Hillsborough County Demo-
cratic Caucus (Membership Chair), member of the DEC, member of Organize Florida/Florida Rising (Healthcare Lead) and a long- standing member of The Black Business Bus Tour group.
Ms. Grayson volun- teered on countless issue- based and political campaigns, including, but not limited to the FRRC, Medicare for All, Affordable Housing, Healthcare, etc. She worked tirelessly around vot- ers’ registration and felt it was important not only to register voters, but for those voters to be informed — knowing who they should vote for as well as why they should vote. Her ef- forts to serve the community will be missed.
(See funeral notice for additional information on Ms. Grayson’s serv- ices.)
MS. DELORES GRAYSON
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 3-A