Carroll died Sunday morning at his home in Lexington, Kentucky, where he was once editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader, said his wife, Lee Carroll.
He had been suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob (KROYTZ'-felt YAK-ohb) Disease, a rare and debilitating neurological disorder.
Prior to taking over at the LA Times, Carroll was editor and senior vice-president at the Baltimore Sun from 1991 until 2000.
He left the Times in 2005, receiving a standing ovation from the newsroom when he announced his resignation.