Lee Edwin Carter

Lee Edwin Carter, “Ed”, died at age 93 in Grand Junction, Colorado, on October 6, 2023. He was born on August 25, 1930, in Keene, Texas, on his grandmother’s porch to his mother Sarah Elizabeth (Woods) Carter and his father Glenmore Rust Carter. His brother, Tom, was born 4 years later. Glenmore was a preacher and missionary, so their childhood was spent in several places, including India, Cleveland, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Hinsdale (IL), and New Orleans. After finishing high school at Broadview Academy in 1946, Ed’s college education included stints at Southwestern Adventist College (Keene, TX) and Union College (Lincoln, NE) but also a stint as a school teacher at Campion Academy (Loveland, CO) and service in the United States Army as a part of the Whitecoat Project, which provided research for development of lifesaving vaccines. Following his honorable discharge from the Army, Ed finished his B.A. in 1958 at Washington Missionary College.

He moved to Douglasville, Georgia, in the 1970s and taught 5th and 6th grade science before returning to his own studies, culminating in a Master’s degree in Sociology from Emory University (Atlanta, GA) in 1982. For several decades he enjoyed reading, writing, and talking about the intertwining stories found in mythology, world religions, and the Old Testament. He was a devoted member of the Seventh-day Adventist church and believed strongly in the second coming of Christ.

He enjoyed and also was good at building things, and for several years, he built the iconic black-and-white church-yard signs for the S.D.A church. He enjoyed being outdoors and had a way with animals, often having unique pets including peacocks and geese in addition to the more usual cats and dogs. Ed especially enjoyed spending time with his three daughters – Cheri, Wendy, and Crystal – and his four grandchildren – Dexter, Carter, Lexi, and Izzy.

In his later years, Ed and his long-time wife Judy moved around the country to be near them: first to North Carolina in 2004, then to Arizona in 2009, and finally to Colorado in 2014. Ed is survived by his long-time wife Judy Heinrich Carter; his daughters Cheri Sheffield (John), Wendy Smith (David), Crystal Owens (Greg); grandchildren Dexter Smith, Carter Smith, Lexi Smith, Izzy Smith; and brother Tom Carter (Janette). An intimate service will be held on Friday, October 13, 2023 for close family & friends.

 Ed attributed his good health in his final years to the high-quality care he received from the VA clinics in Grand Junction and was appreciative of the excellent caregiving services he received from HopeWest, Nightengales, the Residence at Grand Mesa, Eagle Ridge, and finally at the Ferris Care Center. If he could, Ed would now sing his goodbye, “In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore”.