To his friends, Virgil Carr was a man who focused on others instead of himself.

“I remember the first time I met him. I visited him in his office and was impressed by his warmth and sincere interest,” said Sarah Buck, vice president of administration for the ISU Foundation.

“He always impressed me as a person who had very deep convictions and very high principles.”

Carr, a distinguished alumnus and former ISU All-American wrestler, died May 30, three days after suffering a stroke. He was 63.

It is believed an adverse reaction to medication lead to the stroke, said Patricia Ellis, senior manager of media relations for the Detroit United Way.

Carr was born in Waterloo and was the 12th of 13 children. He was the first in his family to attend college.

He graduated from Iowa State in 1964 with a degree in education. He then obtained a master’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis.

At Iowa State, Carr finished in the top four nationally twice in the 157-pound weight class, in 1961 and 1963.

Carr was the president and CEO of the Detroit United Way. He was the first African-American president in the organization’s history.

“He was well-known throughout the country as a United Way professional,” said Linda Remington, group vice president of marketing and communications for the Detroit United Way. “He was an outstanding leader. He truly had a gift for bringing people together.”

Carr made many contributions to Iowa State, Buck said.

He was a member of the Order of the Knoll at the Iowa State University Foundation, she said.

“The Order of the Knoll recognizes individuals who have made a contribution of a minimum of $15,000,” Buck said. “He was very helpful to the university during a fundraiser in the 1990s called Partnership for Prominence.”

In 1993, the ISU College of Education recognized Carr with its Alumni/Achievement Award.

Carr also served as a governor member of the ISU Foundation, Buck said.

Remington said Carr was a person who was always willing to help others through programs like Project Ramp.

Project Ramp is a volunteer program designed to build wheelchair access ramps for people who need but cannot afford their own ramps.

“Virgil loved to talk about a man named George,” Remington said. “George was in a wheelchair because of a stroke and basically a prisoner in his home.

“Through Project Ramp, Virgil changed from his suit and put on overalls and helped build George a ramp. For those of us who knew him, he wasn’t very good with a hammer, but this was something he wanted to do.”

Ellis said she was with Carr at George’s house during the ramp building.

“Before the ramp, George had to be physically carried out of his home, and while we built the ramp, all Virgil said was, ‘my God, we are giving him freedom,'” Ellis said.

Carr is survived by his wife, Mygene Lipscomb-Carr, four children and seven grandchildren.

Funds to continue Carr’s work may be given to the Virgil H. Carr Legacy Fund at United Way Community Services, 1212 Griswold, Detroit MI 48226-1899.

— The Detroit Free Press and Lucas Grundmeier contributed to this article