We regret to report that retired Second District International Representative John Carr died July 25. He was 73.

A Massachusetts native, Brother Carr joined the labor movement as a member of the unaffiliated International Brotherhood of Telephone Workers Local 2 in Boston. He became a charter member of Local 2222 in January 1971 following a massive push to bring thousands of workers at New England Telephone (now Verizon) into the IBEW.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, there were three major campaigns to try to organize members of the independent IBTW union. Carr played a significant role in orchestrating the 1969-1970 campaign that saw more than 30,000 workers choosing among the IBEW, the Communication Workers of America and the United Auto Workers for union representation. At the time, it was the largest National Labor Relations Board election in history for that region, and when the workers voted for IBEW representation, it created 10 new IBEW local unions to represent the telephone workers.

Carr was appointed to the Second District staff the same month as his IBEW initiation. He spent the next 23 years servicing telephone, manufacturing and utility locals. Carr continued to help win bargaining rights for many workers, including hundreds of clerical and technical employees at Connecticut Light and Power. Colleagues say his calm, deliberate demeanor helped win victories for workers.

"John was always a very capable negotiator," said Second District International Representative Ed Collins. "He never lost his cool and always remained steady with his eye on the prize. He became the voice of reason when everyone else might be upset.

"He was IBEW through and through," Collins said. "The membership and their interests were foremost in everything he did."

Brother Carr also served as the co-chairman of the Cambridge-based Northeast Labor/Management Center's board of directors. He was a member of the Army Reserve from 1955 to 1962.

Carr stayed active in union matters following his retirement in 1994, serving on the executive board of Maine's AFL-CIO. "He didn't check his union card at the door when he left the IBEW," Collins said.

In retirement, Carr spent time with his family and enjoyed many outdoor activities, including golf and jogging.

The members, officers and staff of the IBEW send our condolences to Brother Carr's wife, Joan, and their many children and grandchildren.

Retired Sixth District International Representative Frank Kildau died on July 12 at the age of 91.

A native of Silverwood, Mich., Kildau was initiated into Ann Arbor Local 252 in 1946. He served as the local's business manager before being appointed International Representative in 1961. He retired in 1980.

"Frank was a real force in the Sixth District, a great guy and a good, tough representative," says former Sixth District International Vice President Pat Curley.

In 2009, Ypsilanti's historical society published an oral history covering Kildau's experiences in World War II. Kildau, who served in an Army artillery unit in Africa and Italy, recalled seeing a "smirk" on the face of a German pilot who strafed his battalion's position as it battled to take the town of Pisa, Italy. Challenged by the air assault to fight even harder, the battalion succeeded in taking the town and Kildau was designated by his battalion to raise the U.S. flag above its famous tower.

In retirement, Kildau remained in Michigan while wintering in Florida with his wife, Dorothy, who passed away in 2005. He is survived by a daughter, Bonnie Soucie, a son, George, four grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

George, a 38-year member of Local 252, says: "My dad's word was his bond. He was a fair person who would listen to both sides and then render a fair decision."

"He was totally a union man," says Bonnie Soucie, who recalls her father insisting that her mother buy union-made products.

After a heart attack in 1980, Kildau took his doctor's advice and engaged in regular exercise, says George, adding, "He never sat still for too long and was always helping his neighbors."

On behalf of the membership of the IBEW, the officers send our condolences to the Kildau family.