Pro Humanitate: Carl & Linda Tucker’s Transformational Generosity Leads to 2023 Deacon Club Members of the Year Honor
2/27/2024 2:12:00 PM | General
The honor was publicly announced at Wake Forest’s annual scholarship celebration and the Tucker family was recognized at the home Duke men’s basketball game.
Wake Forest is family for Carl Tucker. And, for Tucker's family Wake Forest has become home. With that, following five decades of transformational commitments and support of Wake Forest Athletics, Carl and Linda Tucker are being recognized as 2023 Deacon Club Members of the Year.
The Tucker family have endowed the Carl and Linda Tucker Family Athletics Scholarship, Carl has served as President of the Deacon Club Board of Directors and they have helped fund numerous other facility improvements with their generosity through the years. Additionally, the Tucker family will have Athletics' renovated academic center inside the Miller Center named in their honor once it is completed.
Three of their four sons, David, Mark and Andrew all attended Wake Forest, and now the next generation is set to begin their Demon Deacon journey as David's daughter AnneMillen is set to enroll this fall.
"I've got a granddaughter going to be coming to Wake next year as a freshman," Carl said. "So that's a real positive situation I'm looking forward to. She's from Charlotte, so that's another Wake Forest thing that sort of is energizing all of us.
"And, we've got another five or six that may wind up there one day, but we'll just have to see how that plays out."
In late 2022, Tucker was recognized with the Pete Moffitt Courage Award, which was established in 2012 in recognition of Wake Forest alumnus, Pete Moffitt ('84), who displayed tremendous courage while battling ALS. The Moffitt Courage award is given each year to a Wake Forest student-athlete, coach or alumnus who has demonstrated great courage.
Diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia nearly a decade ago and with a depleted immune system forcing him to battle constant squamous cell carcinomas, a type of skin cancer that has to be removed, Tucker made a triumphant return to Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium last fall to watch the Demon Deacons defeat both Vanderbilt and Elon.
"Well, it was just an invigorating experience," Tucker said. "I saw us get off to a good start and was able to be outside and tailgate and see people and all those kinds of things. So it was an energizing kind of thing."
He's had the same oncologist through all his recent medical issues, which gave him an extra reason to take in the second game of the Wake Forest Football season.
"My oncologist is a Vanderbilt guy, so I wanted to see that one," Tucker said. "So I'd have something to needle him with."
Executive Associate Athletic Director Barry Faircloth worked with Tucker to provide a safe environment for him to attend the double-overtime game against Clemson in 2022, then again for the two games to begin the 2023 campaign.
"I can't just go and sit in the crowd, even with a mask on," Tucker explained. "The impact of my diagnosis with the Covid stuff has been a big psychological issue for me."
"We worked it out so we were able to use a box that wasn't permanently sold and had outside seats. And of course I wasn't too worried about members of my own family, because they all test for Covid before we get together and all those things. It was just a perfect situation. It was a different perspective from watching the games, but we enjoyed it."
A 1968 Wake Forest graduate, Tucker joined the family business, C.M. Tucker Lumber, which was started by his grandfather in Pageland back in 1920. All four of his sons — David, Mark, Paul and Andrew now also work at C.M. Tucker Lumber, which is the second-largest employer in Pageland (South Carolina), with more than 400 employees.
Tucker was surprised to get the news that he and his wife Linda had been selected as Deacon Club Members of the Year.
"I've never looked for publicity," he said. "I've enjoyed everything I've done, what little it's been for Wake Forest. I'm able to keep my hand in a little bit, but I was surprised because I just hadn't been able to be as active as I was at one point in time.
"We all function by having things to look forward to and enjoy and share with friends and family talking about. I'm going to be a Wake Forest supporter no matter what. And I think we're in good hands with coaches like Dave Clawson, Steve Forbes and all our others that are doing such a good job — the results show that. It's our duty to keep them as happy as we possibly can, and I think Wake Forest is doing a great job of that."
