Theodore Wayne Carpenter

1951 - 2020

Theodore Wayne Carpenter

"Do you have anything to say for posterity?" Arizona has lost a faithful servant of God, his community, and the entire Copper State with the passing of Theodore Wayne Carpenter, peacefully at the Lund Family Home, this year of our Lord 2020 on the 19th day of November at the age of 68 years 11 months and 18 days. Ted was born December 7th, 1951 at Harris hospital in Ft. Worth, TX to the late Billy Murry and Georgia Ruth Spurgeon Carpenter. He was named after Georgia's brother, Theodore J. Spurgeon a B-24 pilot shot down behind enemy lines in Ardennes Rhineland, Germany, a POW liberated by General Patton in WWII. Ted lived in Texas, New Mexico and settled down and raised a family in Phoenix Arizona. He started his freshman year in Phoenix at Alhambra Highschool and graduated from Arlington Heights Highschool in Ft. Worth Texas in 1969. He continued to complete a Business degree from Tarrant County Junior College and Fire Science Degree from Phoenix College. In 1966 Ted was mowing the grass as Jack Ross looked out the window and asked his 15-year-old daughter JoAnne why she, "doesn't just go ahead and date that nice Carpenter boy". They fell in love amongst the fireflies at Buffalo Gap, and were married on March 24th, 1972 at Western Hills Church of Christ in Ft. Worth, TX by JoAnne's Uncle, John P. Combs. Jo Anne's Uncle Gat Hyde persuaded Ted to join the Phoenix Fire Department and he was hired on July 30th, 1973 where he spent 26 years serving the City of Phoenix as a Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician and retired December 31st 1998. While working as a Phoenix Firefighter, Ted served the teachers, students, parents and staff of the Deer Valley Unified School District as a board member and school board president for 14 years from 1993-2008. During Ted's time on the Deer Valley School Board he ran a successful campaign with the help of the Local 493 and was elected to the Arizona State House of Representatives serving four consecutive terms in District 19 and District 6 from 1999-2006. Mr. Carpenter even had his name on the official ballot for Governor and State Treasurer, the latter of which he was very close to achieving. He was asked to take the position of Deputy Superintendent of Maricopa County Schools from 2009-2011 where he served honorably. Theodore Wayne Carpenter was a founder, board member and vice president of Valley Schools Insurance Trust from 1994 to his passing, and somehow also found the time to work hand in hand with his daughter Dayna, as a charitable board member with the Pappas Kids Schoolhouse Foundation. Theodore was a devout member of the Church of Christ and the camp director/camp EMT/nurse at Copper Basin Bible Camp for 10 years. He truly loved children and the joy they bring to the world and will forever be remembered for taking off his thumb. His faith in God and family was beyond reproach and was made evident by the foundation of the Florence Church of Christ in his home with his Christian partner in love, Anjo. His personal accomplishments in the history of his family was extensive and he truly had an obsession with heritage and legacy, and would tell anyone who would listen of lineage, and the proven fact that he had traced our family's lineage all the way back to Joseph of Arimathea…no matter how many little branches it included…he was fascinated with life… and death…and the posterity of it all. Ted is survived by his Wife JoAnne Ross, Son Joshua Ross, Daughter Dayna Anne Virginia Ruth Ross, 5 grandchildren Joshua Ross Jr., Jaiton Virgil, Jarren Murry, Sienna Rae, and Aolani Kai, brother Dan and sister Maxine and foster children Julia and Larry as well as others that consider him a father figure as he considered you all his kids. Theodore Wayne Carpenter's Viewing will be held at Shadow Mountain Mortuary, 2350 E. Greenway Rd., Phoenix, AZ from 11:00AM to 2:00PM. A live stream of the viewing will be communicated through Facebook. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Pappas Kids Schoolhouse Foundation or Copper Basin Bible Camp. Details for Theodore Wayne Carpenter's Celebration of Life will be established at a later date after the New Year.