Wallace Reid Carpenter

Published in the Charlotte Observer on 6/17/2008

RUTHERFORDTON -- Mr. Carpenter, 81, of 110 Squirrel Den Road, died June 13, 2008 at Rutherford Hospital. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 18th at First Baptist Church, Rev. Dean Baughn and Dr. Barry Hambright officiating. Family will receive friends at the church on Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m.

Born November 4, 1926 in Shelby, he was Professor Emeritus at Gardner Webb University. He served in the US Army during WWII and was a member of the North Carolina National Guard. A member of First Baptist Church, he was a Deacon, a member of the Rutherford Kiwanis Club, and a former head baseball coach at R-S Central High School. Mr. Carpenter played professionally for the St. Louis Cardinals, and was a former City Councilman for Rutherfordton.

He is survived by his grandson, Wallace Reid Carpenter, III of Raleigh, NC; granddaughters, Laura Elizabeth Carpenter of Rutherfordton, Barbara McClure Carpenter of Asheville, NC and Daisy Boarders Carpenter of Rutherfordton; brothers, Jerry Carpenter of Shelby and Billy Carpenter of Clearwater, FL; and daughter-in-law, Sandy Hamrick Carpenter of Raleigh.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Nellie Bridges Carpenter, his wife, Betty McClure Carpenter, and sons, Wallace Reid Carpenter, Jr. and Alan McClure Carpenter.

Crowe's Mortuary is assisting the Carpenter Family.