William D. Carle III (1929 - 2013)

William Daniel Carle III, age 83, passed away in Lakewood, Ohio on March 12, 2013. The son of William D. Carle Jr. and Ann Ayers Carle, he was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 31, 1929. He grew up in Elyria and Wellington before moving to Lakewood in 1952. Mr. Carle's life and interests were always tied to the Great Lakes. At age 16, he had his first taste of life on the water when he spent four summers as a seaman aboard the Emory L. Ford, which helped fund his undergraduate education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from which he received a Bachelor of Science in Business in 1951. At Miami, he met his wife, Marie Elizabeth Louise Matson (affectionately known as Susie), and they married in 1950. Following his graduation from Miami, Carle went to work for the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of U.S. Steel as an industrial relations manager. While employed there, he obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Cleveland-Marshall Law School in 1955, where he was president of his class. Upon receiving his law degree, Mr. Carle began a long relationship with the law firm then known as McCreary, Hinslea and Ray, which now bears his name as Ray, Robinson, Carle & Davies P.L.L. He was a partner who specialized in maritime cases, with particular expertise in cargo-related matters. In 1983, he argued a case before the United States Supreme Court. In 2005, he was recognized for his 50 years in the practice of law by the Cleveland Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Commissioners. Well-known in the maritime legal community, he was active in a number of professional associations, including the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Maritime Law Association of the United States and the American, Ohio, and Cleveland Bar Associations. Mr. Carle's love of boats and the water extended far beyond professional interest. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Great Lakes Historical Society, and was instrumental in bringing the Str. William G. Mather museum ship to the Port of Cleveland. He also served as a Trustee of Lakewood Christian Service Center. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert A. Carle. He is survived by his wife, sons William D. (Julia) Carle IV, Grafton OH; James M. (Sally) Carle, Vermilion, OH; and daughters Barbara A. (James) Evans, Beavercreek, OH; Cynthia M. Carle, Lakewood, OH, and grandson William M. Carle, also of Lakewood.