Chief Justice Sharon Lee's statement on the passing of Shelby County Chancellor Oscar Carr:
Our entire judicial family is saddened by the loss of Shelby County Chancellor Oscar “Bo” Carr III and extends our condolences to his family, friends, and those that worked closest to him.
Chancellor Carr was a highly respected member of the legal community and we were proud to have this great man join the judiciary last fall as he embarked on a career in public service.
Chancellor Carr worked for 38 years with Glankler Brown PLLC before being appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam last October to chancellor in the 30th Judicial District. He also served as a Special Supreme Court Justice in John Jay Hooker v. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey et al.
His practice of law was almost entirely in civil litigation and he was a Rule 31 listed civil mediator. He was named to The Best Lawyers in Americain 2013 and 2014.
He has been involved in multiple community organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where he served as president and as a board member of the West Tennessee Chapter. He received the Chapter's Living and Giving Award in 2002.
Chancellor Carr also was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church and he served as a Vestryman of the Church. He was a member of and served on the Board of Directors of the Mystic Society of the Memphi, which is a krewe and a part of Carnival Memphis.
Chancellor Carr was a fellow with the Tennessee Bar Foundation and the Litigation Counsel of America. He was a member of the Lawyers Journal Club of Memphis; the American Bar Association; the Tennessee Bar Association; the Memphis Bar Association, where he also served on the Board of Directors; and the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators.
He received a B.A. in English, with distinction from University of Virginia and earned his J.D. at Emory University School of Law, where he was class salutatorian and was a member of the Order of the Coif. He also served on the Emory Law School Council.
Chancellor Carr is survived by his wife, Mary, two children, Camilla and Oscar, and one grandson, Richard.
