Edward ("Ed") Carmack Roland

Edward (“Ed”) Carmack Roland passed away peacefully at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, on February 20, 2026. He was 75 years old. He was born on April 20, 1950, in Henderson, Tennessee, to the late Hall and June Clifton Roland. From his earliest years, Ed stood out for his remarkable work ethic, musical talent, and brilliant mind. He was active in the Boy Scouts and his scouting experience helped to nurture his interest in medicine and his love of the Great Smoky Mountains. When he was still young, Ed assumed responsibility for a paper route, applying the proceeds towards a trumpet, a motorcycle, a pilot’s license (which he earned at age 16), and eventually an engagement ring for his wife, Martha (“Marti”) Clifton, whom he married in Dearborn, Michigan on June 8, 1969. Almost immediately after he and Marti returned from their honeymoon, Ed enlisted in the Army and served as a combat medic in Vietnam. In 1974 he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Molecular Biology. He later applied his medical skills in a series of medical mission trips to Belize and Nicaragua. In 1989 he found himself in the path of a massive tornado that hit Huntsville, Alabama, and he leapt into action tending to those around him who had been wounded. Following this experience, and with guidance and encouragement from Marti, Ed enrolled in the University of Alabama-Huntsville to study nursing. For several years he worked the equivalent of two jobs while also excelling in his schoolwork, earning a Master’s degree in Nursing in 1996 and becoming a nurse practitioner. He eventually opened his own practice in 2013, where he worked until retiring in 2024. Ed frequently picked up new instruments, just to try them out, but he became proficient with the trumpet, piano, guitar, hammered dulcimer, and double-bass. He also had a lovely singing voice, which he put to good use in high school musicals, community chorus performances, family reunions, and worship services throughout his life. Some of his family’s most indelible memories include time spent singing together on long car trips or gathered around him in the living room and singing along as he played the piano or guitar. For many years he also sang with the worship team at Laurel Church of Christ. Ed was also fascinated with science and technology, particularly as it related to medicine, space, and the military. He voraciously consumed books, movies, and videos about military history and technology, and especially science fiction. In his later years, he was particularly fascinated by and excited about the new frontiers being opened by the James Webb Space Telescope and SpaceX’s innovative rocket designs. One other of Ed’s most memorable traits was his love for children, which earned him the nickname “Baby Monster.” Ed and Marti raised six children of their own and throughout his life he was a father figure to many others, eagerly offering care, advice, and support to young people who crossed his path. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Janice Reasonover and his daughter, Miriam Ruth Roland. He is survived by his wife, Marti Clifton Roland; his children, Lauri Clifton Howell of Birmingham, Alabama, Bethany Roland Parlier of Tullahoma, Tennessee, Rebekah Roland Smith of Germantown, Tennessee, David Edward Roland of Mexico, Missouri, Anna Caroline Causey of Knoxville, Tennessee; twelve grandchildren, Joshua Timothy Womack, Elijah Scott Parlier, Ruth Jacquelyn Smith, Meredith Joyce Howell, Lydia Grace Smith, Isaac Levi Parlier, Abigail Marie Causey, Julia Stephanie Smith, Charlotte Louisa Causey, Viola Faye Roland, William Lysander Roland, Benjamin Frederick Roland; one great-grandchild, Kellen Rhys Coleson; and two brothers, David Clifton Roland of Farragut, Tennessee and Lester Hall Roland of Jacksonville, Florida. A memorial service will be held at Laurel Church of Christ on Wednesday, February 25th at 4:00pm with a gathering of friends to follow. Please consider making a donation in Edward’s memory to the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust (https://donate.givedirect.org/?cid=779)

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Edward ("Ed") Carmack Roland

April 20, 1950 - February 20, 2026