Corbin - Dr. Oline Carmical, Jr., of Corbin, Kentucky, departed this earthly life, April 8, 2025, with family at his side. Oline was the only child of Oline Carmical, Sr., and Minta Powell Carmical, formally of Evarts and Harlan in Harlan County, Kentucky. Oline was a lifelong member of Evarts Baptist Church.

Oline is survived by his wife of 57 years, Shirley Rhymer Carmical, his daughter, Veronica Reagan Carmical and the spirit of a myriad of devoted pets from Lobo, the wolf, to his GSD, Emma, a natural empath. Oline had a quick wit, intolerance for the mistreatment of others and a lifelong pursuit to learn. He had an incredible encyclopedic wealth of knowledge ranging from classical Hollywood cinema and his beloved B Western movies, wide knowledge of snakes across the globe, surprising knowledge of record statistics from sports to American and British history and legal studies and politics. Even in retirement, he maintained a detailed grasp of our national and international political landscape.

He earned the Masters of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of Kentucky in history by supporting himself as a professional billiards player. His career in education spanned two years at the secondary level and more than 50 years at the college level. His most successful philanthropic grant award continues to support the educational and professional expenses for degrees, travel and academic resources for the faculty of the University of the Cumberlands as that fund has for more than 40 years. While he helped countless students reach their goals to become attorneys, historians, other academics and a wide variety of other professions, he often commented among his many accomplishments was that in half a century of teaching every student he had in class who desired to become a public school teacher successfully surpassed the required social studies testing requirements to teach.

Throughout his adult life, he helped and often sought out unique individuals to serve successfully in elected positions to improve our lives. For decades, each election night press members and acquaintances contacted him for predictions or explanation of the voting results.

Oline Carmical's life was unique. Before he was an adult, he was shot, stabbed and had several traditionally adult jobs. As a mature adult, he was the victim of kidnapping from a mass murderer and was returned home to loved ones unscathed unlike dozens of others the fugitives came in contact with. He often commented privately that God surely had a purpose for him to remain on this earth. We shall never know what that purpose was, but there is no doubt where he is now. He led a quiet life in his few years of retirement. When asked what he was doing, he would laugh and respond, "Absolutely nothing, I am retired."

Private services are Saturday, April 19, at the Rhymer-Thompson Family Cemetery in Cranks, Kentucky. Extended family, friends, past students or those who would like to share an afternoon of fellowship, remembrance and boisterous storytelling in the spirit of the liar's table concerning Oline and his life are invited to gather at Greenland Baptist Church in Corbin, Kentucky, May 10, from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. Light refreshments will be served, but if those attending have an infamous snack, grazing food, appetizer or dessert they would love to share, we know he would find that a fitting addition to an event in his honor.