Carla Roark-Hunter

Carla Roark-Hunter, age 59, passed away on May 14th, 2024 at the MD Andersen Cancer Center in Houston, Texas in her battle with cancer. Carla was born on September 28th,1964, in Gary, Indiana, to parents Eva Shackleford and Ben Harper. 

Carla graduated from South Haven L.C. Mohr High School. In addition to her high school education, she was a part of a program at her high school: Van Buren Skills Center Program connected to Western Michigan University and obtained an Associate’s degree in Dietetics & Nutrition in 1984. Upon graduation, she began her career as a Dietician Clerk at South Haven Community Hospital. She proceeded and excelled in careers at Spectrum Health, Hobart Hospital, Colonial Manor, St. Joseph Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Spartan Nash in Grand Rapids, MI. She also had an independent contract for a modelling agency: Unique Models & Talent where she was formally featured as a print and commercial model in Grand Rapids Magazine. Later she took a Vendor Cost Analyst position at Gerland Corporation located in Houston, Texas and ended her career in a similar position at her beloved SpendMend, where she received numerous accolades and loved her dear co-workers. In her spare time, she was a sports fanatic & beach enthusiast in addition to holding an administrative role of managing basketball stats for a semi-pro basketball team Baytown Boom out of Houston, Texas [on tour in China]. She was an avid basketball & football mom, coached an AAU Girls Basketball in Houston and loved activities such as hiking, walking, running, nature trails and beach hopping.

Carla was a caring woman and loving mother and grandmother. She married Lewis Hunter in 1989 and they raised three children together. Jeffry, Jasmine & Jaylen. She was a God-fearing woman and served the Lord Jesus Christ in spirit and truth, and in her last days with community at The Fort Bend Church in Sugar Land, TX. [Houston] Carla is preceded in death by her grandmother Marie Williams, Uncle Gregory Williams, her Uncle Ron Gordon, and her Aunt Alice Jones. She is survived by her mother, Eva Shackelford, sister, Alisa Harris, brothers, Kalvin Hooks, Bryan and Jeff Shackleford of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, MI respectively, her husband of 34 years, Lewis Hunter; her son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey and Hebba Robinson; her daughter and son-in-law, Jasmine and Ralph Joseph and her son, Jaylen Hunter; along with grandchildren Jaiden & Noah Robinson and King Joseph.