J. Ted Carter
January 9, 1915 ~ July 23, 2006
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
J. Ted Carter, 91, of 301 Lakewood Dr., Asheville, died at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, July 23, 2006, at Memorial Mission Hospital after a period of declining health.
Mr. Carter lived in Asheville for most of his life, but was born in Mars Hill on January 9, 1915 to the late Dr. J.T. and Mrs. May Peek Carter. He was also the grandson of J.B. and Mary Merrell Peek and Solomon M. and Mary Ramsey Carter. He was also preceded in death by two sisters: Muriel C. Baldwin and Opal C. Corpening.
Mr. Carter graduated from Berea College, Berea, KY and did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He coached championship basketball teams at Hendersonville High School, Gastonia High School, and Lee H. Edwards High School. He retired as City of Asheville Athletic Director in 1980.
He was a veteran of the United States Army, 5th Army-Field Artillery, during World War II. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and retired as a Captain.
He wrote and published four books and was a former columnist for The Asheville Times.
Mr. Carter was a direct descendant of one of the founders of Mars Hill College. He was a member of Central Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Elizabeth Grubbs Carter; one son, Michael W. Carter, Sr., and his wife Linda, of Asheville; two grandsons: Michael W. Carter, Jr. and his wife Allyson, and Chad S. Carter; two great-grandchildren: Danielle Carter and Gregory Carter; two sisters: Bernice C. Bradham and Elizabeth C. New; several nieces, nephews and lots of cousins
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Groce Funeral Home chapel on Patton Ave. with Mr. Bob Terrell and the Rev. Dr. Robert M. Blackburn, Jr. officiating. His family will receive friends following the service.
Flowers are acceptable and appreciated, or a donation may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
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Coach Carter was my basketball coach at Lee Edwards High School in the late fifties. I remember him coaching the Gastonia Green Wave who beat the pants off us twice in 1957. He left Gastonia to take the basketball coaching job at Lee Edwards between the 1957 and 1958 seasons. The first time I officially met him he called Mickey Ammons and myself down to his office during class ond day and talked to us about the upcoming season. He emphasized to us he was going to count on us to help carry the squad for 1958. We were excited to have him as our coach after experiencing a losing season in 1957.
Coach Carter was a wonderful coach, a wonderful man; a man who was fair and well liked by all who played for him.
Now I discover we are probnably cousins because I too have Peek family in the Madison County area.
Dear Elizabeth, I am so sorry to hear of your loss of your husband. May the God of all Comfort comfort your heart. My love and prayers are with you. Louise
A true gentleman and friend. He has influenced many high school age persons and served as a role model that has served us well.
Lee (Sonny) Sheider, HHS class ’48
Coach Carter, you will be missed. I enjoyed your World History class I was in 1970-1971, at Asheville High.
My sincere condolences to Mike and the entire family. Coach Carter was an exceptional teacher and he will be missed by everyone who knew him. Our prayers are with you, and may God bless and comfort your family in this time of great sorrow.
Jerry Hagan, LHE Class of ’68
He was a great coach and let us have so much fun on the golf team from 1972 – 1974. He was always there to help and encourage. We learned so much. Thank you very much.
Mrs. Carter, Michael and family:
I am deeply sorry for your loss. Coach Carter was very important in my life. I was a member of one of his Lee Edwards teams and while not a very good player, he always found a way to make me feel important to the team. He was a fine coach and a fine man and will be missed by all who knew him. Our prayers are with you all.
Arch Smith,
Lee Edwards, Class of ’59
I and my late brother, Maurice N. Whitaker, both graduated in 1962 from Lee H. Edwards High School. I never got to meet Coach Carter but from what I have read he certainly lived a long and productive life. We will all miss him.
Coach Carter was not only my basketball mentor, but someone who I looked up to as a role model and a friend. Alot of the things I learned from him may not have made much sense to me as a student of his, but as I got older I came to apreciate the many lessons he taught me. A big regret I have is that after high school, that I didn’t keep in touch with him. My deepest sympathies to the family of Coach Carter.
Lee Edwards Class of ’69
My sincere condolences to you, Mike, and your family. I feel like I’m a part of your family because coach took me in like a son. He made a young boy’s dreams come true. I could write a book on our relationship. How he could say simple things that mean so much. Among his first words to me were’I’m gonna name you ‘Go-Go’ because I want you to go-go. Thus, my dreams of playing ball and going to college were just a famality.He not only made my dreams come true, but through basketball,taught me about life.He taught me grace, to be humble in endeavors.I’m forever grateful to coach….and he lives on, because everything he taught me, I try to past it on to kids I encounter. He was/is a truly WONDERFUL, CLASSY, GENTLEMAN, AND A GREAT COACH.
MAY GOD BLESS
GO-GO GRANT
LEE H. EDWARDS H.S
CLASS OF ’69
Mrs Carter and family – I send my love and sympathy for your loss of Coach Carter. Coach Carter was one of the few people I really admire. Unfortunately, while on the Hendersonville team, I was too young to appreciate his fine qualities. I will always cherish the memories of the great times we had together as a team. I will especially remember Coach Carter’s outstanding coaching abilities and especially his fatherly kindness toward me.
May the blessed peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you at this time.
Star Burnette
I have many fond memories of his guidance,coaching, and encouragement.He was a great coach.
With deepest sympathy. Ted was a wonderful coach and like a second father to me.
with sympathy.
With sympahty.
With sympahty.
Our love and sympathy.
Dear Mrs. Carter and Mike,
I played for Coach Carter during the 1957-1958 and 1958-1959 seasons. I also worked for him at the Rec Park by running the concession stand one summer and life-guarding for about 4 summers. When I go by the school I always think of him. I stop by the Rec Park at least once a year and sit and watch the pool for a few minutes and let my mind fill with pleasent memories of the years from 1957 to 1964.
Coach Carter was a tremendous influence on my life and the lessons he taught have served me well over the past 40-some years.
If it had not been for Coach Carter letting me play basketball for him, and the things he taught me, I probably would never have gone on to college.
I will never forget him, or you Mrs. Carter. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please do not hesitate to ask.
Francis Vaitekunas, Class of 1959.
Our sympathy and love to the family.
Liz & Bob
Mrs. Carter and Family, I offer my prayers and condolences in the loss of Coach Carter. I was in his World History class at Lee Edwards in 1961. He was a great man and teacher and will be remembered and greatly missed.