Dr. Roy Edward Carter Jr.

1928 - 2021

Dr. Roy Edward Carter, Jr.
1928-2021
Dr. R. Edward Carter Jr. passed away peacefully at his home on January 28, 2021. He was born in Abbeville, Louisiana on October 6, 1928 and graduated from Beaumont High School in 1945. In July, he moved to Houston to attend Rice Institute at age 16. He met his prerequisites to attend Medical School in just two years, accepting an offer to attend Medical School at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He began his medical studies at in Fall of 1947 at the age of 18. After graduation, he went to Charity Hospital in New Orleans for a rotating internship including working in the polio ward there, followed by two years of residency in Internal Medicine with LSU Medical School in New Orleans.
From 1954-1957 he served as a Flight Surgeon in the U.S. Air Force, initially stationed in Thule, Greenland 250 miles above the Arctic Circle.
From 1956 -1957 he served a third year of residency in Internal Medicine with Baylor College of Medicine at Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston. In 1957, he began a private practice of Internal Medicine in Houston.
In September 1960, he joined the full-time clinical staff at Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) and was appointed Instructor in the Department of Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Carter married Ruth Putnam, also from Abbeville, La., in July of 1961.
In 1962, he organized and directed the Spinal Injury treatment program at TIRR.
Subsequently, he received a continuous series of grants from the US Dept of Education for a Model Regional System of Care for Spinal Cord Injury from 1972-1999. Dr. Carter became internationally recognized for his work with ventilator-dependent spinal cord injured individuals. He was also a founder of the American Trauma Society of Harris County.
He was promoted to Professor of Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine in 1982, then Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at BCM in 1990-1999. In 1973, he was a founding member and first President of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and remained on the ASIA Board of Directors until 1980. In 1991, he received the ASIA Lifetime Achievement Award
In 1976, he was elected an Associate Member of Allied Specialties in the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
From 1988-1992, he was President of the International Medical Society of Paraplegia and was awarded their Silver Medallion in 1991.
In 1988, he was elected Honorary Member of the British Cervical Spine Society.
In 1994, he received the Edward W. Loman, MD award from the American Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
In 1995, he was elected Honorary Member of the Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
On September 1, 1999, he fully retired, after 39 years at TIRR and BCM.
Dr Carter was preceded in death by his parents Roy and Maud Carter and sister Anne Carter Dean Landry. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ruth Putnam Carter, their daughter Ruth Carter Wilson of Katy and her children Travis, age 24 and Kathryn and Kyle age 20. Their son, Ed Putnam Carter of Dallas, who raised two boys--Cody, age 25 and Cole, age 23 and has one granddaughter Collins Mae, 7 months.
The family would like to thank Marjorie Meiser, Larry McKellar, Patricia Starr and Dominga Velazquez for their friendship and loving care they gave to Dr. Carter.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to RSVP- Rehabilitation Services Volunteer Project. This organization provides medical equipment to individuals who lack access to these items, rsvptexas.org.
A memorial service will be held for Dr. Carter on Saturday February 13, 2021 at 12 noon in the sanctuary at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77027. Masks are required and social distancing will be observed.
This will also be a livestreamed event. https://www.stlukesmethodist.org/memorial-livestream/
The link will not go live until the service begins.