Jimmy Gray Carpenter was born in Richmond,VA on September 5,1940 and grew up in the tiny town of South Hill, VA. He is preceded in death by his brother Frank, his mother Sallye, and his father Frank. He leaves behind his wife of 48 years, MaryBeth Morton Carpenter, his son Kyle,and his daughter Elizabeth. Following graduation from high school at the age of 16, he attended Wingate College in Monroe,NC, then transferred to NC State in Raleigh. Upon graduating with a degree in civil engineering, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Jim is a veteran of the Cuban Missile Crisis and was part of the intelligence division. He earned the title of Lance Corporal and Sharpshooter.
After finishing his time in the Marines, he spent some time in Richmond before relocating to Atlanta, GA. He and his wife moved to Marietta, Georgia and he began working at Welker and Associates, Inc. where he worked his way up to becoming a part owner of the business. He loved working with Welker Associates and spent 40 years on his job.
He and his wife moved to Talking Rock, Georgia after retirement. In his free time, he enjoyed going on fast rides in his Kubota with his granddog, Maggiano and his crazy dog Cramer. He also loved going for long walks anywhere he could, especially in the mountains in Tennessee. You could frequently find him looking up the latest recruiting class of Georgia football and heading to high school game to catch the latest star. Every Sunday at 1pm, you could find him watching Fareed Zakaria. He was happiest with a cold frosty margarita in one hand,some college football on the television, family surrounding him, and some dogs snuggling up to him. He passed on November 24, 2018 in Jasper, GA at the age of 78.