Jack Ellis Carter

1922 - 2010

Jack Ellis Carter, of Lodi, died September 10, 2010. He was 88 years old.
He was born April 11, 1922, in San Francisco, the son of Cecil C. Carter and Eva Margaret Graham Carter. The family moved to Modesto when he was 4 years old, where he attended local schools, graduating from Modesto High School in 1939 and attending Modesto Junior College. He received the Eagle Scout Award and was active in high school drama productions.
He enlisted in the US Navy during World War II and was a pilot in the Air Corps. He was stationed at Cape May, New Jersey and Norfolk, Virginia, where he flew anti-submarine patrol missions along the Atlantic coast.
He married Martha Lee Smith, his high school sweetheart, on July 3, 1943, in Corpus Christi, Texas, and they lived in Cape May during the war years.
After the war, he and Martha moved to Redding where he worked as shoe clerk in Burton's Shoes, later becoming a partner in what became a chain of 6 Burton's Shoes stores in central California.
The Carters arrived in Lodi in 1948 where he became managing partner of the new Burton's store on Pine Street. Burton's Shoes was successful because Jack genuinely liked his customers. He never forgot a face or a shoe size. His business motto was "We cheerfully refund and gladly exchange". After parking meters were installed downtown, he even paid his customers' parking tickets. For many years generations of loyal, satisfied customers lined up for the semi-annual sales.
During his more than 50 years as a downtown Lodi merchant, he was known for his wild sense of humor and for his public service. He was president of the Lodi Rotary Club, served as Director of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, served on the board of Lodi Memorial Hospital and on the vestry of St. John's Episcopal Church and helped start the Senior Day Care Program at Hutchins Street Square. In 2005 he was inducted into the Community Hall of Fame for his contributions to downtown business and the community. But perhaps his proudest achievement was that he was once selected "One of Lodi's handsomest men".
He and 5 other Lodi businessmen started Lodi National Bank in 1965, which later became Mid-Cal Bank before being bought by the Bank of Stockton. He served on the Bank of Stockton Board of Directors until recently.
He is survived by Martha, his wife of 67 years, daughter Shelley Hird and son Brock Carter, grandchildren Anne Rogers, Andrew Hird, Laurel Esseff, Elizabeth Henderson, Katherine Carter and great-grandaughter Rhiannon Rogers.
A memorial service will be held at 12:00 pm, Monday, September 27 at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1055 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi, CA 95242.
Memorial contributions may be sent to St. John's Building Fund or the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation, PO Box 3004, Lodi, CA 95241.