POY Nominee — Deb Carr: Keeping service local
NLJ file photo Deb Carr, owner of W.C. Sports & Western Wear in downtown Newcastle, was nominated for the 2025 NLJ Person of the Year award. Her store has always been a place where she enjoys serving the public, not just by providing products to customers, but also where people can gather and visit. Carr has done community outreach by hosting numerous events, such as her annual hair and makeup sessions for prom-goers.
For nearly 15 years, Deb Carr has unlocked the door to her downtown shop with the same intention: to serve the people of Newcastle. Whether that meant helping a teenager feel confident on prom night, outfitting a ranch hand with steel-toed boots, or simply offering a place to stop, talk and be known, Carr’s business has always been about more than retail.
Carr is the owner of W.C. Sports & Western Wear, a Main Street fixture whose eclectic inventory reflects both the changing needs of the community and Carr’s willingness to adapt alongside it. This year, as she begins to contemplate retirement, that steady presence has come into sharper focus.
Carr said she was touched to learn she had been nominated as a Person of the Year.
“It’s been a great pleasure to serve Newcastle,” she told the News Letter Journal.
Carr estimates she has been serving the community since March or April 2011. In that time, she has watched shopping habits shift, downtown ebb and flow and her own business evolve in ways she never imagined.
When Carr first opened the business, it focused on wedding gowns, tuxedos and other formal wear. Over time, customer needs and the store itself changed in an evolution that wasn’t accidental. It was survival and service.
As customer needs changed, Carr expanded what she offered. Sports apparel, jeans and T-shirts became staples. Carr said candles were among the store’s most popular items during the Christmas season, fueled largely by word of mouth.
This past holiday season stood out for another reason: Carr noticed more people choosing to shop locally.
For Carr, however, the work has always been about people.
Barb Crow said Carr’s generosity often shows up in quiet, personal moments rather than public gestures.
“She always says yes when anybody needs help with anything — money or anything else,” Crow said.
Crow recalled a downtown holiday event where Carr invited children to make ornaments, an activity that reflected Carr’s inclusive approach. Carr invited Crow, who was out walking her dog, to have her pet join in the activity, according to Crow.
Those moments, Crow said, capture Carr’s character.
“She’s so kind and really a good person,” Crow said.
Others who have known Carr for years describe the same consistency — a business owner who treats customers like family and remains deeply invested in the people who walk through her door.
“Deb is a very kind and generous woman,” Tyler Mills said. “She has always treated my daughter and myself like family.”
Mills said that approach has remained unchanged throughout Carr’s years in business.
“She truly enjoys giving back to the community,” he said.
Kim Dean said Carr’s commitment is evident in the way she works with customers, whether they are shopping for something small or preparing for a major life event.
“It’s obvious Deb Carr loves being a business owner,” Dean said. “She puts her heart into helping all her customers, as well as our community. Whether shopping for a gift or attire for a special occasion, Deb has a knack for helping you find what you need.”
As Carr looks toward the future, she said the physical demands of running a retail business are becoming harder, even though her love for interacting with people remains.
“I wish my body could keep doing this because I love communicating with the people,” Carr said. “But my body is kind of getting a little worn down. It’s 65 years old now.”
Carr said she hopes that when the time comes, someone local will want to continue the business and keep it downtown.
“I would love for somebody in the community that would want it to come and buy it and keep it here,” she said.
She said many longtime business owners are reaching a similar point.
“Some of us that have had businesses for 30 years are ready to retire and let the younger generation take it over,” Carr said.
When she does retire, Carr said, she plans to spend part of the year with her sister in Tampa, but her ties to Newcastle remain firmly rooted. In 2021, Carr and her family planted a tree in Centennial Park in memory of her late husband. She recently checked how much it had grown and saw that it is now almost as tall as she is.
For nearly 15 years, Carr has adapted her business while remaining a steady presence behind the counter. For many in Newcastle, that constancy and the person behind it are what have mattered most.