Carl Painter

1964 - 2025

Carl Painter, longtime graphic designer at ECB Publishing, Inc., passed away at his place of residence on Wednesday morning, April 2. He was 61.
Born in Chicago, Ill., in 1964, Carl spent his formative teenage years in Wisconsin and graduated from Wabeno High School in 1982, according to his LinkedIn page.
Never enamored of the cold and snow of the north, Carl moved to Florida the first chance he had and came eventually to call the Sunshine State his home. He worked as a graphic designer at Greene Publishing in Madison County for about eight years, before returning to Wisconsin to care for an ill parent.
Carl moved back to Florida around 2010 and started working at the Monticello News where he was a key player. Carl not only laid out the newspaper, he built ads, managed all three websites and emails, was the in-home computer tech, and "the everything in our business," according to ECB Publishing Publisher Emerald Greene.
"I had the pleasure of working with Carl for over 25 years, and in that time, he became more than just an employee - he was like a brother to me, and a best friend.
"Carl first worked with me at our Madison County newspaper for about eight years before moving up north. Though he was far away, we stayed in touch regularly. It was during one of these conversations that I told Carl I had purchased the Monticello News and that if he ever wanted to leave the cold behind and come back south, I had a job waiting for him. Without hesitation, Carl packed up and made the move to Monticello, where we have spent the last 15 years working side by side.
"Carl had a heart of gold. He would stop whatever he was doing to help anyone in need - but for me, it seemed he would always drop everything to help with whatever was on my plate, no matter the time of day. I lovingly referred to him as my 'personal computer geek,' as he was the one who solved not only my problems, but all of our computer and website issues at our three sister newspapers. Whether it was a minor glitch or a major problem, Carl was our 'go-to guy,' and he always found a solution.
"Our world has certainly become a little darker without Carl in our lives, but I take comfort in knowing that Heaven grew a lot brighter the day Carl walked through its gates.
"He will be deeply missed, but never forgotten," said Greene.
Carl was of the old school in terms of his work ethic, always punctual, reliable and dependable, rarely taking time off except under the direst of circumstances. Generally collaborative and congenial, he was an all-around good guy. A man with a ready sense of humor, he also had a nonsensical view of life and things, and was unafraid to express his strong opinions.
Carl loved listening to rock music, playing the guitar, fishing and playing online games, not necessarily in any particular order. He was also a family man, much beloved by his family.
Carl is survived by his daughter Sam Bush, his granddaughter Addison Sykes, both of Monticello, and his girlfriend, Theresa Smith. A cat lover, he also left behind two cats – Business and Toby.
Carl will be greatly missed by his newspaper family.