A funeral Mass for Carl Anthony Labbe Jr. was held on Aug. 7 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga.
Mr. Labbe was born in 1927, and his family was from Akron, Ohio. His family relocated to Chattanooga in 1935 when his father joined TVA.
Mr. Labbe attended Notre Dame grade school, OLPH grade school, and Notre Dame High School. He served in the U.S. Navy. He then received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Chattanooga and was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
Following a short employment with the U.S. Geological Survey in the Rocky Mountains, he returned to Chattanooga and began working with the Dupont Co., where he was with the Dupont nylon plant for 37 years as a development chemist, senior research chemist, development supervisor, and senior planning specialist.
He married Dorothy Andrews in 1952 and they had five children: Michelle (Frank) Repici, Julia (David) Mayfield, Angela (Oliver) Mayfield, Carl A. Labbe III, and Thomas V. Labbe. He also leaves 12 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
In civic work, Mr. Labbe served three years on the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library board of directors, with two of the three years on the executive board as treasurer. He was named a Distinguished Chattanooga Citizen in 1980 for his work with high school students. He helped start the Chattanooga Dismas House for ex-prisoners, serving two terms as the initial president and fundraising chairman. He sang and played banjo with the “Old Time Singers” organization that entertained at homes for the elderly.
Mr. Labbe was active in Catholic Church work, serving as vice president and president of the St. Jude Men’s Club, and treasurer of the St. Jude Athletic Association and the St. Jude Boy Scout Council. He served on the vocations committee at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish and also was active in Knights of Columbus Council 6099. He received the “Stumpy Serratore” Award for service to the Knights. He also was a member of the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee.
Mr. Labbe dedicated 13 years to support the Chattanooga Youth Organization, assisting in many trips to national CYO conventions and in the yearly “CYO Show,” directing eight of these, most at the Tivoli Theater in Chattanooga. In later years, he worked at area Catholic youth functions, such as Search as well as summer camps. He was a substitute teacher at all three Chattanooga Catholic schools and helped with the kindergarten Montessori reading program at OLPH for more than 13 years. He received the coveted “Jim Phifer Award” for his work at Notre Dame High School.
In 1986, Mr. Labbe joined the Serra Club, a Catholic lay organization dedicated to fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life. He served extensively in this organization as vice president of programs and president of the local chapter, then District 18 governor, later Region 5 director, and eventually on the United States-Canada board for two years. He served as a team leader on the Vision 2000 committee and twice on the Serra International nominating committee.
Following a rosary service for Mr. Labbe and the funeral Mass, he was laid to rest in the Hamilton Memorial Gardens with his beloved wife, Dorothy.
Donations in Mr. Labbe’s memory may be made either to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church or to the Notre Dame High School building fund.