We are extremely saddened at the sudden and unexpected loss of GCSW alum, Tony Carroll. Well known and loved, he has been a trailblazer in the Houston community. Through his work and advocacy, he helped usher in the change he wanted to see in the world. Tony's legacy will live on through the lives he touched and the transformative changes in our community which he helped bring to fruition through his tireless leadership.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m., Saturday, January 23, 2016, at Bradshaw-Carter Memorial and Funeral Services, 1734 West Alabama Street, Houston, Texas 77098. In lieu of food or flowers, donations can be made to http://homelessgaykidshouston.org, an organization Tony helped to co-found with his husband Bruce Smith.  

In honor of Tony and his work we are sharing excerpts from a Houston Chronicle profile as well as the from NASW Texas which awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award this past November.

"Carroll is one of Houston’s leading gay therapists. When he received his social work degree in 1983, there were only a few such therapists in practice. More than 30 years later that number has increased, but Carroll is arguably the city’s best-known, and a resource for gay men — as well as straight men, wives, parents, and anyone else who cares about American males.

"But every project in this public life, Carroll says, echoes the mission he pursues in the quiet of a therapy session: to nurture the voice and fulfillment of the individual." -from a profile of Tony Carroll by Houston Chronicle reporter Claudia Kolker

"Tony Carroll has been a trailblazing psychotherapist providing culturally sensitive, compassionate care for LGBT individuals since the 1970s and 1980s when homophobia, violence and oppression directed against gay Texans was rampant. In addition, over the last four decades, he has emerged as indefatigable civic activist, a generous philanthropist, a passionate supporter of the arts, and–most significantly -- a leader in the struggle for full equality for LGBT people.

Tony Carroll truly embodies through a lifetime of professional work that social workers pave the way for change." -from the NASW Texas Lifetime Achievement Award 

Read the Houston Chronicle profile.

Read the NASW Texas Lifetime Achievement Award recognition.