John Floyd Carson

John Floyd Carson was born January 14, 1941, in rural Kiowa County, Kansas, to Floyd and Mary Carson. He grew up in the Mullinville area and graduated from Mullinville High School in 1959. He continued his education at Emporia State University before transferring to Wichita State University to pursue a degree in education.

John married Jeanne Caywood on June 8, 1963, in Mullinville, Kansas. From that marriage, he was blessed with three children: Cinda, Craig and Cristi. In 1989, John married Cindy Stewart, and his family grew to include her children, Jennifer and Christopher. In the years that followed, his family continued to grow, eventually bringing him 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

After returning to Mullinville, John began working for Michigan Wisconsin Pipeline Company, which later became Coastal and eventually ANR Pipeline. He enjoyed a long career with the company and retired in 2001 as a Senior Control Technician.

While John was proud of his career, some of the roles that meant the most to him had nothing to do with a job title.

John began driving a school bus at just 16 years old. After retiring from the pipeline, he returned to the driver’s seat and continued driving until the age of 81. Over those many years, generations of students came to know John not only as their bus driver, but as a familiar and dependable presence in their school and community.

His support of local students extended far beyond his bus route. If there was a game taking place, there was a good chance John was somewhere nearby—keeping the scorebook, running the chain gang at a football game or calling lines for volleyball. He gave countless hours simply because he enjoyed being involved and supporting the kids.

Sports were a lifelong passion for John. A talented athlete himself, he especially loved basketball. John and his brother Gary became well known for hosting the Tiger Basketball Camp each summer, where they taught young players the fundamentals of the game. The camp gave John the opportunity to share something he loved while encouraging generations of young athletes along the way.

And when he wasn’t supporting the local teams, there was always KU basketball. John was a devoted Jayhawk fan and rarely missed an opportunity to cheer them on.

Summertime often found John at the swimming pool, where he willingly filled whatever role was needed—Pool Boy, Bookkeeper, Goggle Fixer or Cheerleader. He had a special way of encouraging the little kids, often giving them his familiar “thumbs up” to let them know they were doing a good job.

Those simple gestures became part of what made John, John. He didn’t need to be the center of attention. He was content to be there, lend a hand and offer encouragement.

Later in life, John also developed a love for reading. Although books hadn’t interested him much when he was younger, that changed with time. Whether he was waiting in the car or sitting at a shopping mall while someone else shopped, John was perfectly content as long as he had a good book in his hands.

Of all the roles John held throughout his 85 years, however, none meant more than those within his family. He was a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and he had the joy of watching his family grow through several generations.

His children are Cinda Morehead (Bryan), Craig Carson (Leslyn), Cristi Werth (Rodney), Jennifer Naumann (Justin Coble), and Christopher Stewart (Heather).

His grandchildren are Cheyenne Fierro (Will), Lymon Morehead, Brayden Werth (Kristin), Baylee Pfeifer (Kyle), Shelby Mattke (Brady), Rylee Gottschalk (Kade), Lindee Carson, T.W. Carson, Cassy Quirk (Chandler), Brett Peters, Daniel Naumann and Tenley Stewart.

His great-grandchildren are Wilder Munsell, Ria Fierro, Emma Werth, Kolt Werth, Sophie Werth, Kash Werth, Ivy Pfeifer, Mya Pfeifer, Chet Pfeifer, Delaney Mattke, Savannah Mattke and Clara Quirk.

John is also survived by his wife, Cindy, and his sister, Susan Staats (Roger).

He was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Mary Carson, and his siblings, Carol, Darrell, Jack and Gary.

John passed away October 5, 2026, at the age of 85 after a short battle with cancer.

John’s life was built around family, community and simply being there when he was needed. For generations of kids, he may be remembered from behind the wheel of a school bus, across a basketball court, along a sideline or beside the swimming pool. For his family, the memories are even greater—found in a lifetime of ordinary moments that now mean so much more.

John gave his time generously, encouraged quietly and remained a steady presence in the lives of so many. The bus routes eventually ended, the final scores were written in the books and the basketball camps came to a close, but the impact John made has not.

It lives on in his family, in the generations of young people he encouraged and in a community that was better because John was always willing to show up.

A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at the Greensburg Methodist Church, Greensburg. A visitation with the family will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the church prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to USD No. 422 Kiowa County Schools (Athletic Department and Library) and the Greensburg Methodist Church both in care of Fleener Funeral Home, PO Box 41, Greensburg, KS, 67054.