Bobby Caraway

Bobby Lamar Caraway, DVM, Lt. Col, Ret died Friday, May 30, 2014 in his residence. Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of a veterinarian, Bobby graduated from the Kansas State College School of Veterinary Medicine in 1955. He served his country in the United States Air Force as a Lt. Colonel in Vietnam where he cared for and performed surgeries on the sentry dogs, which played a role as vital as that of the fighting men. Dr. Caraway also took an assignment at the Air Force’s School of Aerospace Medicine doing virus and cancer research. In 1962 he was presented The Bronze Star by the President of the United States and was also the recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal in 1969. Dr. Caraway worked with NASA as the attending veterinarian for “Enos” the first chimpanzee to orbit Earth. The success of this chimp’s mission led to John Glenn’s January, 1961 orbit around the earth three times. Dr. Caraway was also an inventor, who, along with his brother, had patented an oilfield blow-out preventer that would stop oil well blow outs that was approved by the American Petroleum Institute. He served as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine for over 25 years, and served as the Senior State Veterinarian at all Louisiana horse race tracks. Dr. Caraway was a noble of the Shriners’ El Karubaw Temple, Shreveport, Louisiana, which supports the Shriners’ Crippled Children’s Hospital. He took great pleasure in being a member of the Mardi Gras Krewe of Lake Charles, the Krewe de la Noblesse, and along with his wife served as King and Queen in 2004. Dr. Caraway is survived by his wife of 26 years, Mrs. Sonya “Toni” Duplantis Caraway and many other family members. Vistation will be held on Friday, June 6, 2014 from 9:00 AM until service time at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00AM on Friday, June 6, 2014 at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Cemetery.