**Longtime Smith County Judge Jay Clark Carnahan, Jr. Passes Away at 84**
TYLER – Jay Clark Carnahan, Jr., a highly respected figure in the Tyler legal community who served two decades as a Smith County Court at Law Judge, passed away on December 3rd, 2025, at the age of 84. Carnahan, a lifelong resident of Tyler, was widely recognized for his extensive community involvement and dedication to public service.
Born in Tyler on July 20, 1941, to Jay Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Thompson Carnahan, he was a proud graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in 1959. He continued his education at the University of Texas at Austin (utexas.edu), where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1963 and his law degree in 1966.
Carnahan began his legal career in Dallas from 1966 to 1968 before serving his country in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps during the Vietnam War, serving from 1968 to 1972. Following his military service, he returned to Tyler, practicing law alongside his father. His most significant impact came through his judicial service as the Smith County Court at Law Judge (smith-county.com), a position he held with distinction for twenty years, from 1980 to 2000. He continued to contribute to the legal system as a Senior Judge in the years that followed.
Jay married Nancy Jo Peden in 1966, and together they built a family, raising two daughters, Amy Carnahan Thompson and Elizabeth Carnahan Wagemann. He cherished his role as a grandfather to six grandchildren.
Beyond his professional life, Carnahan was deeply involved in the Tyler community. He was an active and devoted member of Marvin United Methodist Church, located at 115 S College Ave, Tyler, TX 75702 (marvinumc.com). His civic leadership included serving as President of the Texas Rose Festival Association in 1982 and as a founding board member for the Tyler Public Library Foundation (201 S College Ave, Tyler, TX 75702, tylerlibrary.com/foundation). He also dedicated his time to organizations such as the Tyler Chamber of Commerce and Rotary.
A memorial service to celebrate Jay Clark Carnahan, Jr.'s life is scheduled for Sunday, December 7th, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Marvin United Methodist Church, 115 S College Ave, Tyler, TX 75702. A visitation will be held the day prior, Saturday, December 6th, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Hwy, Tyler, TX 75703 (stewartfamilyfuneral.com). A private interment will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Marvin United Methodist Church (marvinumc.com), the Tyler Public Library Foundation (tylerlibrary.com/foundation), or Hospice of East Texas (4111 University Blvd, Tyler, TX 75701, hospiceofeasttexas.org).
