Nina Carol Carnes

The National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, Inc. announces the transition of Mrs. Nina Carol Carnes, Mother of Association Member, Jay Carnes.

The National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, Inc. sincerely sympathizes with the Carnes Family. May God continue to watch over you all. We give you this one thought to keep, "Although it's difficult today to see beyond sorrow, may looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow."

Nina Carol Westerman Carnes, (Mrs. Franklin W. Carnes Jr.), entered the presence of our Lord on August 1, 2026, at the age of 87. Born May 6, 1939, in Bellville, Texas, the family soon moved to Galveston where her father went to work for the Santa Fe Railroad. The majority of her life, Nina was raised in Galveston, Texas where she met our father while working for American National Insurance Company and married November 8, 1958, at First Baptist Church in Galveston.

Once married, Nina became a ‘stay at home mother’ until her youngest child entered school. At that time, she went back to work part-time for West End Baptist Church as Church Secretary. As her children grew into their teen years, she decided to work full time with her sister Donna at the Professional Building Pharmacy. After her husband passed away, she then went to work for UTMB where she enjoyed a long career in Nursing Administration. Nina first worked as the Administrative Assistant to Ann Irvin and then Beth Pugh, both heads of UTMB Nursing. She later moved into TDCJ Nursing Administration where she worked for Ray Jarl the head of TDCJ Nursing. She finally returned back to UTMB Nursing Administration as the Administrative assistant for David Marshall, (whom she considered as a son, and we consider as a brother) before retiring after 23 years. She retired on Friday and on Monday she went to work for her youngest son Jay and helped him open Carnes Funeral Home in Texas City where she worked for 17 years before retiring again.

Nina had a vibrant personality and loved entertaining people with her humor. She loved telling stories whether through the written word or by having an audience in front of her. Nina loved her family and let everyone know how much they meant to her. The highlight of her life was her 10 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Nina would brag about her grandchildren to anyone who would listen and enumerate all of their accomplishments, big and small. Of course, she thought each one was extremely beautiful and handsome. Each grandchild was really her favorite. Nina felt like God had truly blessed her with the best daughters-in-law and son-in-law. They loved her and took care of her like she was their own mother.

Nina truly cared about and loved everyone she met. She wanted the best for each person and would usually tell them what they could improve on to become the best version of themselves. For our entire childhood she volunteered at our church, First Baptist Church Galveston: Working in the nursery, with children, and with teens, drove elementary and Jr high age girls to camp every summer, and made sure that every girl who wanted to go to camp – went. Nina always found funds to make sure no one was left behind. Dad taught mother how to drive the church bus and from then on, she drove girls to camps, retreats and anywhere that was needed. Due to her love of pranks and a fun disposition, she was always the favorite counselor at camp. She and our father worked together making sure everyone who wanted to go to church on Sundays had a ride. Nina absolutely loved sports. In her prime, she was an incredible athlete and was fiercely competitive. Back in the day, she coached boys’ basketball with our father, traveling the state with many of the young kids she went out and brought to church, and subsequently led to a saving knowledge of Christ her Lord. Nina never missed a game her grandchildren were playing.

Mother was happiest buying her children and grandchildren gifts. She loved Christmas! One of her favorite things was watching them open their presents at her big family Christmas Eve gathering. Being surrounded by her family was the best!

Nina was the daughter of the late Inez Lucy Williams Westerman and Verdis WiIliam Westerman. She was also preceded in death by her brother David Lester Westerman and sister Donna Lynn Remmers, her in-laws Franklin Walker Carnes Sr and Dessie Powell Carnes, her brother in-law Jerry Dale Carnes, her nephews David Wayne Westerman and Andrew Paul Rico and her beloved husband of 24 years Franklin Walker Carnes Jr.

She leaves behind to carry on all of her family traditions: daughter, Kelly Lynn Johns and husband Dennis; sons, Franklin Walker “Rusty” Carnes III and wife Lisa, Michael David Carnes Sr. and wife Renea, and Jay Patrick Carnes and wife Lori; her grandchildren, Ashley Carnes Perez and husband Eli, Jillian Carnes Smart and husband Jeremi, Franklin Walker Carnes IV and wife Courtney, Christian Johns, Parker Johns, Michael Carnes Jr. and fiancé Alexis Fellenz, Mae Carnes and fiancé Ara Ajamian, Oliver Carnes, Molly Carnes, and Elizabeth Carnes; and great grandchildren, Caroline Lynn Carnes, Franklin “Walker” Carnes V, William Canady Carnes, Anna Lisa Perez, Emerson Kelly, Emilia Smart and Justin Smart, Caden Kelly and Cole Kelly. Her adopted grandchildren Carli Beckett Griff, Zander Johnson and Salome Bachir. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of other relatives and many friends and colleagues at UTMB, TDCJ and throughout the funeral industry.

Pallbearers will be grandsons, Franklin Carnes, Christian Johns, Parker Johns, Michael and Oliver Carnes, Eli Perez, Jeremi Smart, Ryan Kelly, and Seautry “J.R.” Harkless.

Honorary Pallbearers will be David Marshall, Greg Samford and Edward Anderson.

We would like to thank the nurses and staff at the Meridian for loving her and taking great care of our mother. We also would like to thank J.R. Harkless who was like a son to Nina for his never-ending care and attention to Nina over many years. Maybe our greatest amount of gratitude and thankfulness goes to Nina's daughter in law, Lori Carnes. She was Nina's personal RN on call 24/7and an extremely vigilant overseer of Nina's health care. Without Lori, we would have not had Nina near as long and in relatively good health as we did. Every family should be as blessed as we were to have in our family someone as passionate and compassionate as Lori. (Our advice, encourage your children and grandchildren to be Dr.'s and nurses).

A Visitation will be held on Friday evening August 14, 2026, from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. with a time of sharing at 7:00 P.M., at Carnes Funeral Home 3100 Gulf Freeway in Texas City, where Nina served on staff and made so many wonderful friends who continued to love on her even after retirement.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, August 15, 2026, with Visitation to begin at 9:00 A.M., at Carnes Brothers Funeral Home 1201 23rd Street in Galveston.