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EDWARD N. CARPENTER

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Yale University

EDWARD CARPENTER Obituary

CARPENTER--Edward N. (Tim), of Lawrence, New York, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 12th, at the age of 91. Tim graduated from The Buckley School, Brooks School and Yale University in 1942. He married Kitty Eaton and served in the Pacific as a U.S. Marine in World War II, including the battle of Iwo Jima. After the war he returned to lead the brokerage firm of Jessup and Lamont. In 1960 he retired from the world of finance to work full time as a playwright and lyricist. His wife, Kitty, died in 1971 after 29 years of marriage. In 1973 he married Margaret Owen Van Rensselaer. He is survived by his beloved wife Margaret and his devoted children Katherine Carpenter McCallum, Carolyn Carpenter Wright, Jake Burton Carpenter, Richard Owen Carpenter, Stephen Owen Carpenter, Posie Owen Carpenter and Margaret Carpenter Jones. His son, George Whitney Carpenter, USMC, was killed in Vietnam in 1967. Tim is also survived by twenty grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. His family, friends and community will never forget his extraordinary principles, kindness and strength as a leader. A Memorial Service will be held at Trinity St. John's Church in Hewlett, Long Island on Saturday, January 15th at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the George W. Carpenter Scholarship Fund at the Brooks School, North Andover, MA 01845, or to St. John's Episcopal Hospital, 327 Beach 19th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691.

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Published by New York Times on Jan. 13, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for EDWARD CARPENTER

11 Entries

Antoinette Basque

February 12, 2011

My thoughts and prayers are with the Carpenter family. I have nothing but wonderful memories growing up on Long Island with Mr. Carpenter as a close neighbor, he was an outstanding citizen. Antoinette (Waters) Basque Windermere, FL.

January 22, 2011

A wonderful, gracious man who will be missed by the community.
Priscilla Savage, Sarasota, Florida

Annie Griska

January 20, 2011

Beloved Marg and all cousins and 2nd and little 3rd cousins-UNCLE TIM WAS ONE IN A MILLION AND and all Uncle Sonny's part of the family join with you in celebrating the exceptional life of a truly great man. He will always be missed and loved for he lives forever in our hearts. Everything about him is a gift from God and I send you love at this difficult time and prayers that God will comfort you all as only He can. Everyone should have an Uncle Tim. The world was made a better place because of his life and I am thankful to have had him in mine. Deepest sympathy and love. Annie Carpenter Griska

Joe Griska

January 18, 2011

The Bible says that we are created in the image of God, and that we must be holy as He is holy and walk as He did. One of the ways we do that is to be a giver, Romans 12:8 says, and to be a generous giver. The most often quoted giving scripture is John 3:16: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son." It takes the God kind of love to give of yourself.

"Uncle Tim" or "Uncle Teaser," as he was affectionately called by his brother, C. Whitney Carpenter, and thus known by Annie, his niece, and me, gave of himself and of his substance generously along with his dear wife, Margaret.

In my one of my favorite movies, "A Christmas Carol: The Musical," Scrooge, played by by Kelsey Grammar, becomes a generous giver after his transformation and after the visitations from three spirits. After that, it is not enough for Scrooge to purchase a goose for the Cratchett family, but it has to be the "prize goose." He then knocks on his nephew Fred's door as an unrecognized, remade man with Christmas gifts in hand and, upon being asked who he is, responds, "Why 'tis I, your uncle, Ebeneezer" and is pleased to accept his nephew's invitation to Christmas dinner.

Uncle Teaser had the same spirit of generous giving without undergoing any Scrooge-like transformation that we knew of--that's just the way he was all the time, giving of himself, his time, wisdom, and experience. Periodically, he would call, it seemed, out of the clear blue, saying, "It's Uncle Teaser. Margaret and I will be traveling through Connecticut tomorrow, and we would love to stop by to visit with you and your children and grandchildren." And how we looked forward to those visits!

When we visited Uncle Teaser and Margaret at their home in the summer, there was swimming at the club, lunch, and was a great time of sharing and fellowship.

At Christmas Time, it was never enough for Tim and Margaret to send just a box of Christmas goodies and cheer in the mail. It would be followed by a Christmas wreath, and finally a Christmas check. And our children were blessed by Tim and Margaret in the same fashion--they made the holidays very special and something that you would look forward to and depend on! After that, there was always the exchange of long New Year letters.

Joel Chandler Harris, the author of the Uncle Remus Tales and whose letters I had the opportunity to edit in the late 1970s, lamented that the art of letter writing had all but died out in America. But Harris, Uncle Remus, did not know Uncle Teaser. Uncle Teaser was an excellent writer who filled his epistles with the lively details of life, showing us what he and Margaret had been doing as well as his children and grandchildren. He always began them, "Dear Annie and Joe" and always ended them with "Your Uncle Tim" or "Your Uncle Teaser." Annie was his niece but he chose to be my uncle and to make me his nephew, and it was very special.

The Bible has so many verses on giving, but one that really sums up Uncle Teaser's life is Luke 6:38: "Give and it shall be given you good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men heap into your bosem." I believe that Uncle Teaser was so generous that in the same measure he gave he received--he received and was blessed by his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his nieces, his nephews, and his friends. You reap what you sow, and I believe Uncle Teaser sowed giving and reaped the same, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Annie and I saw the evidence of this at the memorial service as did anyone who attended. When Uncle Teaser became absent from his body, he became present with the Lord. And while no one can know how the Lord of all the earth will judge anyone's life--that's His business and His alone--I like to think that the words Uncle Teaser heard from Jesus were, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You gave with the same love and passion that I gave."

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Samantha Snyder

January 17, 2011

Uncle Tim and Margaret will always have a special place in my heart. Uncle Tim's brother, C. Whitney Carpenter was my grandfather. He passed away when I was in my adolescence, and Uncle Tim and Marg always remembered me through my growing up. They kept me in their prayers when I was in a terrible accident, and they always remembered me and sent my family beautiful handwritten notes at Christmas. They celebrated my marriage and the birth of my children, and I cherished the few visits we shared. I will miss him and want to extend our deepest sympathy to Aunt Margaret and their entire family.
With Love,
The Snyder Family

January 17, 2011

Dear Carolyn,Sam and Family,
Our deepest condolences.Reading the obituary it is apparent that your father/grandfather had such a rich and fulfilling life.We hope that comforts you in this time of sorrow.
Babette,Michael,Andrew and Margeaux Basista

Mickey & ZB Burgos

January 15, 2011

Dr. R. Carpenter,
We are sadden for your lost. Our thoughts are with you. Condolences to you and your family.
Mickey & ZB Burgos

Sylvia Wall

January 15, 2011

My heart is filled with sadness at your loss of Tim. I cannot imagine the pain you feel now but I wanted to let you know that my thoughts are with you and your family.

January 13, 2011

Carolyn, Sam and family - our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family, sorry to hear of your dad / grandfather's passing.. The Crimaudos- Laurie, Sal & Shannon

Tish Biesemeyer

January 13, 2011

Tim Carpenter was a nice man. I can remember when my father died in '73 how nice both Tim and Margaret were to our family

sam wright

January 13, 2011

rest in peace granddady we will miss you your lolving grandson sam

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