Philip Lindsay Carruth's Obituary
Philip Lindsay Carruth, D.D.S. passed away on Saturday, July 6, 2024 at the age of 84. He was born in New Orleans, LA, on November 30, 1939 to parents Luther Edward Carruth and Alma Ballam Carruth.
He is survived by his loving wife, Edwina “Winnie” Whitman Carruth; his children, Julia Kathryn Carruth Hosea (Andrew) and Laura Ann Carruth Pickett (Alex); and his grandchildren, Abigail Grace Hosea, Samuel Matthew Hosea, and Benjamin Carruth Pickett. He is also survived by his nieces Susan Carruth-Ryan, Jean Simpson Blanche, Mary Clare Carruth, and Roberta Carruth-Taylor; nephew Gurucharan Khalsa; and many great nieces and great nephews, cousins, and wonderful friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Luther Edward Carruth, Jr., Anna Kent Carruth Simpson, Walter Kent Carruth, and Julian Reade Carruth.
Philip grew up in Ponchatoula, LA, attending school there, and went to Chamberlain Hunt Academy in Vicksburg, MS for high school. After a four-year enlistment in the U.S. Navy, primarily on the U.S.S. Kittyhawk, he graduated from Northeast Louisiana University with a B.S. in Pharmacy in 1966, and briefly took over Carruth Drugstore in Ponchatoula, LA.
After marrying Winnie in 1967, they moved to Memphis, TN where he graduated from University of Tennessee in Memphis with a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1970. After completing a dental internship with the New Orleans VA Hospital in 1971 and a general practice residency in San Diego in 1975, he spent the majority of his career at the VA Medical Center in New Orleans, becoming Chief of the Dental Service in 1982 and retiring in 2006.
Philip was an active participant in continuing education and organized dentistry; he was a fellow of both the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the International College of Dentists. He served on several ad hoc committees of the American Dental Association (ADA) and on the Test Construction Committee and Examination Committee of the AGD. During his VA career, Dr. Carruth served as the first VA delegate to the ADA when federal services were allowed individual delegates.
In addition, Philip became a part-time associate professor of clinical prosthodontics at LSU School of Dentistry (LSUSD) in 1982. After retiring from the VA, he switched to full-time status at the LSUSD, where he was the course director of removable prosthodontics until 2014 when he reduced his teaching to part-time status. While at LSUSD, he received the Shawky Mohammad Distinguished Faculty Award, and he was awarded a golden apple for Excellence in Teaching - three times - an award voted on by third-year dental students. He loved teaching at LSUSD so much he failed retirement there several times.
Because the VA and LSUSD did not keep him busy enough, Dr. Carruth continued to serve his country in the Reserves, retiring in 2001 as Col. Carruth from the Louisiana National Guard.
Besides God and his family, the only thing he loved more than the military and teaching dentistry was the Chitlin’ Switch, a family fishing camp only accessible by a 30 minute boat ride built on the Tangipahoa River in the 1930s. He grew up going there with family and friends and continued this tradition with his family, and is where his daughters and grandchildren all caught their first fish. For a man who needed to stay busy, there was always a project or ten that needed attending to at the camp. He always enjoyed bringing family and friends for a fish fry, shrimp boil, and fun adventures “down the river”.
After living in Riverwood subdivision in Covington, LA since 1983, Philip and Winnie moved to Christwood Retirement Community in 2021, where Winnie remains in the Longleaf Memory Care section. Up until just a few weeks ago, Philip was able to maintain his active lifestyle with healthy eating and working out in the gym. We are so thankful he was able to visit Memphis at the end of May for his two grandsons high school graduation festivities.
The family would like to extend their most sincere thanks for the compassionate care given to Philip during the last couple weeks of his life by the ICU staff at St. Tammany Parish Hospital and the hospice care at Christwood.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org or St. Timothy on the Northshore https://www.sttimothyns.org/give.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the memorial services at St. Timothy on the Northshore, 335 Asbury Drive, Mandeville, LA 70448 on Friday, July 12, 2024, at 3:00pm with visitation at the church on Friday beginning at 2:00pm.
Family and friends are invited to a reception at the church immediately following the service.
The Carruth family invites you to share thoughts, fondest memories, and condolences online at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home Guest Book at www.ejfieldingfh.com.
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