Help Carlton go Up in Smoke (cremation)

Carlton DePolo passed away on the evening of December 28, 2024 from complications due to liver failure. He was one of the more unique characters that I have ever come across. One that I also had the good (and sometimes bad) fortune to be able to call a friend. His, at times, crippling OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) made grocery shopping with him like taking a toddler to Toys R Us. He would literally need to be ushered throughout the store. These sometimes dark clouds of obsession, however, also fueled an incredibly curious intellect that was most often concerned with the well-being and fair treatment of his fellow man. He was perfectly imperfect and never afraid to say he was sorry. The trickier part was getting him to understand that he was wrong. Over the course of a nearly 30-year friendship we suffered and celebrated each other often. I will miss the good, i will even miss the bad, but most of all I will miss the ugly.

He and his dad Chuck have struggled mightily through the years after having lost their rock, Carol, during heart surgery in 2000. She was the captain of their ship, and they were rudderless without her. They slowly drifted south, literally and figuratively, and found themselves at the home of their brother/son Christopher just outside of New Orleans. Carlton had long ago perfected both a Cajun accent and palette. This new lease on life was short-lived, sadly, as Christopher fell victim to kidney disease and passed away a few years back. They moved back to their home on the hill facing an uncertain future. Financial struggles quickly became insurmountable, and they found themselves living in a hotel with barely enough left over to eat. The one constant they had, however, was one another. Their compatibility and concern for one another is rarely, if ever, seen between a father and son.

Carlton had tons of friends, and if each one of them donated even a dollar, we could probably cremate him twice. So anything that you could give is greatly appreciated. Any extra funds will be given to his dad Chuck.

Lastly, as I recall from a semi-recent conversation, we both agreed to apologize on behalf of the other for any transgressions that had gone unresolved. So he’s sorry to anyone out there that he has wronged, and he hopes those words might bring comfort or closure to you.