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Steven McCarter Obituary
Dec. 21, 1922 - Feb. 3, 2013
Steven "Steve" Shipman McCarter, 90, passed away peacefully at his home in Salinas, CA on Sunday February 3, 2013. His final days were spent with loving wife, children and grandchildren by his side.
Steve was born in Boise, Idaho to the late Claude and Julia McCarter and grew up on the family ranch in Camas Prairie, Idaho. He graduated from Boise High School and attended Boise State University until duty called in 1943. He enlisted and served in the 7th Army artillery unit during World War II, where he earned two battle stars and several commendations for his service in England, France and Germany. Steve returned to France in 2006 where he received an honorary medal from the town of Sagy en Vixen for his role in the liberation of France.
While serving in Paris, Steve was introduced to Renee "Monique" Linck, a Parisian woman who became the love of his life. After the war ended, Steve promptly returned to Paris to find that his future wife had been injured in a car accident. He nursed her back to health and they were married in Paris in 1946. Monique arrived in the United States after the war ended, and met her eager husband at the train station in Boise, Idaho. Their lifelong adventure began in Idaho at a fire lookout station for the forestry service.
Shortly thereafter, Steve moved his family to Salt Lake City where he attended the University of Utah, earning a degree in pharmacy. Upon graduating, the family moved to Palo Alto and Steve began his career as a pharmacist in San Francisco. After feeling the calling in 1957, Steve moved the family one final time to Salinas where he and his wife would open their first pharmacy in the Sherwood Gardens shopping center. With business thriving at Sherwood, the pair expanded across the central coast, opening an additional six pharmacies: Star, Fairway, Hanks, East Lake, Medical and Prescription Pharmacy. The pharmacies quickly became fixtures in the local community and served residents up until the last store's closing in 2012. But Steve's contributions to the medical community extended far beyond the pharmacies. He served as President of the American Cancer Society in Monterey County and was on the Board of Trustees for the California Pharmacy Association where he was influential in passing legislation that made generic drugs available to Californians. For his outstanding community service in pharmacy, Steve received the prestigious Bowl of Hygeia award in 1972.
Steve was an adventurous spirit and had several passions outside of the medical field. Steve earned his private pilots license in 1965 and enjoyed flying every chance he could. He loved his Piper Cherokee airplane, 877SM, and flew it from Florida to California and from the tip of Baja California to Alaska. His love for flying never faded and 877SM carried him until his last solo flight at the age of 80.
If Steve wasn't in the air, he was in pursuit of trout somewhere in the streams of the Western United States. His passion for fly-fishing began in his youth and continued throughout his entire life. With Monique by his side, Steve traveled the world in search of the perfect stream, of which they found many. Steve spread his passion to all that surrounded him, teaching his children and grandchildren to love nature and welcome all the adventure that comes with it.
He is survived by his wife, Monique McCarter; brother and sister-in-law, Don and Kay McCarter; son and daughter-in-law, Duncan and Elizabeth McCarter; daughter and son-in-law, Michele and Philip Lukas; son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Theresa McCarter; grandchildren, Brandon McCarter, Kindra Reid, Alex Lukas, Jake McCarter, Renee Lukas, and Elise McCarter; great-grandchildren, Gavin McCarter, Colby McCarter, Carter Reid, and Taylor Reid.
The McCarter family will be holding a private ceremony to honor Steve's life. Any donations in Steve's name can be made out to the American Cancer Society or the American Red Cross.
Funeral arrangements by Struve and Laporte Funeral Home. Online condolences to www.struveandlaporte.com.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Steven McCarter
February 24, 2013
Toutes nos condoléances de la part de tout les membres de l'Union Jeep Vexin (Magny en Vexin FRANCE)
Russ Kellum
February 8, 2013
I first met Steve over 30 years ago when we joined resources and put up a commercial building in Salinas. Because of that successful venture, and because we found we had a great deal more in common, our friendship flourished over the intervening years and it has been my privilege and pleasure to know Steve and his family for that amount of time.
Steve loved the outdoors, especially the mountains, rivers, streams and wildlife of the Idaho backcountry. His second home and his base of operations when he was in Idaho is in McCall, a beautiful lakeside community in the center of that state and one which has a very nice little airport. Steve's Piper Cherokee could find its way there from Salinas practically on its own.
Steve and I spent many happy and memorable hours flying back and forth to McCall, and many more days and hours fly-fishing the lakes and streams of that area. The Upper and Lower Payette, the many forks of the Salmon, the Wiser, the Secesh, and many more. But Steve preferred the smaller streams and creeks and that is where his expertise as a fly-fisherman would really show. He taught me everything I know about fly-fishing and that only scratched the surface of his knowledge. He was a wealth of knowledge and I feel very fortunate to have been the recipient of some of it.
We would often takeoff from McCall in his Cherokee, fly to one of the remote back country landing strips, fish all day, and fly back before dark. Places like Johnson Cr., with its beautiful wide grass landing strip, or Indian Cr. with its narrow, dog-legged, challenging dirt strip, and many more. We were very fortunate to be able to combine two of the world's greatest activities, flying and fly-fishing.
We fished Hat Cr. and Flat Cr., Big Cr. and Little Cr., Loon Cr. and Duck Cr., Hazard Cr. and Hard Cr. There is even a McCarter Cr. near Steve's ancestral home down around Camas Prairie. But of all the creeks, Steve's all time favorite fishing spot was where Warren Cr. comes out of the dredge ponds……. and if he know I was writing this where some other fly-fisherman might see it he would probably choke! But, under the circumstances, I don't think he will mind too much. Steve and I had many Idaho adventures, and I am going to miss that a great deal.
Steve flew his plane back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the EAA fly-in, to Baja for clams, to Alaska for the Northern Lights, and often just over to Hollister or Watsonville for the legendary $100 hamburger. And, his passion for travel extended over the entire world. He made trips to all of the continents of the earth in search of their most elusive fish, and he caught most of them. Bone fish in Belize, Tiger fish on the Zambezi River, and Arctic Salmon in Kamchatka, to name just a few.
In the early 90s Steve and Monique and Carolyn and I went to France and rented a crew-it-yourself canal boat, and for about 10 days we cruised through the ancient canals of the rural French countryside. We didn't relax much, however, since we were required to get the boat through the many locks in that canal, which happened about every 20 minutes! And it took all four of us to accomplish that task. It turned out to be a “working” vacation, but none of us will ever forget the fun we had.
Steve, I am sad that you have flown west, but I think you did a pretty good job of making the most of your life. I'm going to miss you, partner, I hope I can do half as well as you did before it is my time to make that last flight and cast that last line.
Russ Kellum
Russ Kellum
February 7, 2013
I first met Steve over 30 years ago when we joined resources and put up a commercial building in Salinas. Because of that successful venture, and because we found we had a great deal more in common, our friendship flourished over the intervening years and it has been my privilege and pleasure to know Steve and his family for that amount of time.
Steve loved the outdoors, especially the mountains, rivers, streams and wildlife of the Idaho backcountry. His second home and his base of operations when he was in Idaho is in McCall, a beautiful lakeside community in the center of that state and one which has a very nice little airport. Steve's Piper Cherokee could find its way there from Salinas practically on its own.
Steve and I spent many happy and memorable hours flying back and forth to McCall, and many more days and hours fly-fishing the lakes and streams of that area. The Upper and Lower Payette, the many forks of the Salmon, the Wiser, the Secesh, and many more. But Steve preferred the smaller streams and creeks and that is where his expertise as a fly-fisherman would really show. He taught me everything I know about fly-fishing and that only scratched the surface of his knowledge. He was a wealth of knowledge and I feel very fortunate to have been the recipient of some of it.
We would often takeoff from McCall in his Cherokee, fly to one of the remote back country landing strips, fish all day, and fly back before dark. Places like Johnson Cr., with its beautiful wide grass landing strip, or Indian Cr. with its narrow, dog-legged, challenging dirt strip, and many more. We were very fortunate to be able to combine two of the world's greatest activities, flying and fly-fishing.
We fished Hat Cr. and Flat Cr., Big Cr. and Little Cr., Loon Cr. and Duck Cr., Hazard Cr. and Hard Cr. There is even a McCarter Cr. near Steve's ancestral home down around Camas Prairie. But of all the creeks, Steve's all time favorite fishing spot was where Warren Cr. comes out of the dredge ponds……. and if he know I was writing this where some other fly-fisherman might see it he would probably choke! But, under the circumstances, I don't think he will mind too much. Steve and I had many Idaho adventures, and I am going to miss that a great deal.
Steve flew his plane back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the EAA fly-in, to Baja for clams, to Alaska for the Northern Lights, and often just over to Hollister or Watsonville for the legendary $100 hamburger. And, his passion for travel extended over the entire world. He made trips to all of the continents of the earth in search of their most elusive fish, and he caught most of them. Bone fish in Belize, Tiger fish on the Zambezi River, and Arctic Salmon in Kamchatka, to name just a few.
In the early 90s Steve and Monique and Carolyn and I went to France and rented a crew-it-yourself canal boat, and for about 10 days we cruised through the ancient canals of the rural French countryside. We didn't relax much, however, since we were required to get the boat through the many locks in that canal, which happened about every 20 minutes! And it took all four of us to accomplish that task. It turned out to be a “working” vacation, but none of us will ever forget the fun we had.
Steve, I am sad that you have flown west, but I think you did a pretty good job of making the most of your life. I'm going to miss you, partner, I hope I can do half as well as you did before it is my time to make that last flight and cast that last line.
Russ Kellum
February 7, 2013
Dear McCarter Family
I went through most of my schooling with Duncan. A few years later, while working with Salinas Coca Cola, I met Steve in the Sherwood Gardens Pharmacy. He would always find time to sit cown and chat with me. Very knowledgeable and interesting to talk to.
I was saddened to hear the news.
Paul Whitney
Alice Kellum Bradley
February 7, 2013
It has been a pleasure knowing the whole family. Steve was a special guy. My best to Monique, Michelle and all of you.
Doug Howden
February 7, 2013
To a good friend and a great guy.
He will be missed by all.
Loree Foraker
February 7, 2013
Michelle and Family...I am so sorry for the loss of your Father...My thoughts and prayers go out to you during this time...Loree Foraker/Carlons Delivery Service
Bonnie Kellum-McIntosh
February 6, 2013
Dear McCarter Family,
We only knew Steve and Monique through my brother Russ Kellum. Anytime we were around them it was a nice and interesting time. What a very nice person Steve was. We are very sorry for your loss.
Bonnie Kellum McIntosh and Gary McIntosh
February 6, 2013
Happy Landings Steve on this your final flight.
It was a real pleasure flying, camping, and kabitzing with you over the years.
We all miss you.
Tim Whitney
Lori Carter
February 6, 2013
A year or so ago--I had the honor and pleasure to work briefly for Steve and Madame Monique--I fell in love with both of them immediately~~ Steve became a hero~ and Madame a dear treasured friend. My condolences to Madame and to all of the McCarter family---What an amazing life~~ Happy flying and Happy fishing~~ I'm grateful and better for having known you.
Sharon
February 6, 2013
Rest In Peace Steve~
My Love To Monique And Family
Sharon
Dave Kretsinger
February 6, 2013
I will miss having coffee with you in the mornings at the Y and hearing your stories. You were good company and a good friend. Peace.
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