Remembering Brian Carver

August 28, 2023

Family, friends, and the Clemson University community mourned the loss of Brian Carver on September 19, 2022.

It is impossible to truly honor a life well lived in a single article, but it is possible to highlight a few of the things that so many people loved about our dear friend Brian Carver. In attempting to gather a few words about Carver, the same sentiments were constantly repeated – his love and commitment to others!

Carver earned his bachelor and master degrees from the University of Tennessee. After earning these, Carver went on to work in manufacturing. After 9 years, he returned to the University of Tennessee where he pursued his CPA and Ph.D. Carver served two visiting teaching positions before becoming an assistant professor at Mississippi State. Carver joined the Clemson School of Accountancy in 2014 and served as a treasured member of the faculty until his passing.

Carver’s wife Dede shared that his faith and family were foremost in his life. He loved to watch all sports, and his love for others spurred him to teach about his faith by participating in two mission trips to Jamaica.

In the many memories and sentiments shared about Carver, his kindness and service to others were resounding themes. Friends remember his passion in all the things he did for others; whether he was taking charge of the music for a wedding day, or preparing his firstborn’s nursery! Another friend remembered that even when on the way home from one of his mission trips to Jamaica, Carver’s service to others didn’t stop when they left the island. When one friend was too exhausted from the trip to keep up with the group, it was (unsurprisingly) Carver who stopped and waited to help them continue on!

To honor his dad, Carver’s son Matthew partnered with the Omega Chi social club at Freed-Hardeman University to set up the “Brian Carver Missions Fund.” Matthew Carver shared that his dad’s passion for others was something special that he saw first-hand as they participated in mission trips together.He remembers one of his last conversations with his dad being about reaching the local community with his faith. The fund set up in Carver’s honor will be used to send underprivileged Freed-Hardeman students on future mission trips. Matthew Carver shared that he knows his father would be touched that a fund was created in his memory for the sole purpose of reaching people and continuing to share his love for others and his faith. The fund exceeded its initial goal of raising $1,500 dollars and will remain open for future giving. The fund was first used on a Freed-Hardeman trip to Ecuador in spring of 2023 and will continue to support the Omega Chi club’s mission going forward! Carver’s passing certainly left a hole in our community, but his kindness and love for others left a legacy that will continue for many years to come. In honor of Brian Carver and two other faculty who recently passed, the School of Accountancy held a memorial service in September 2023. A new memorial bench as well as memorial plaques will honor Brian Carver, Daryl Guffey and Megan Mowrey.