Carter, Charles Bradley "Brad"

April 20, 1948 – June 19, 2015

Charles Bradley “Brad” Carter was born April 20, 1948 in Viola, Arkansas to the late Austin Carter and Dorothy Moss Carter. He passed peacefully on June 19 following a hard fought battle with metastatic colon cancer.

Brad graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He started his career in the oil industry. In the 1980s he switched to the defense industry, retiring from Raytheon in 2010.

Brad had many hobbies. When the quail population was plentiful, he would go to the Matador Wildlife Management Area in west Texas with his best friend, Henry Chappell. He loved to read. He was passionate about driving back country roads with his wife in their Jeep Rubicon, and camping miles away from civilization. Brad was always ready to hike in Utah to find Ancestral Puebloan rock art, slot canyons, and arches. In later years, he and his wife acquired a motorhome and towed their Jeep on many trips. His favorite destinations were southeastern Utah and Big Bend National Park. To satisfy his love of photography, he owned several cameras and used them often in his travels. Brad was very proud of his home and took great care to maintain a beautiful landscape. Although Brad didn’t watch much television, he did enjoy a few favorites and could often be heard quoting Monty Python, The Princess Bride, Lord of the Rings, and Firefly.

Brad was never afraid to attempt something new. He taught himself how to flint knap, making multiple arrowheads. Over the last 10 years, he slowly accumulated a workshop full of wood- and metal-working machines. Upon retirement, he began refurbishing a 1936 Cord, which unfortunately, his cancer did not allow him to complete.

Brad is survived by his wife of 37 years, Donna Carter; daughter, Tamara Carroll, her husband Keith Carroll, and grandson Mike Enriquez; parents-in-law, Bill and JoAnne Wood; sister-in-law, Debbi Morris and her husband, Ken Morris; brother-in-law, David Wood and his wife, Kim; and many aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by his beloved French Brittany Spaniel, Jack.

The family would like to give special thanks to the staff at Garland Texas Oncology, the Greenville Vitas Hospice caregivers, and Brad’s cousin John Harrell.

A memorial service will be held at ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home, 19310 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75252 at 1:00pm on July 3, 2015.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Nature Conservancy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Vitas Hospice, or a charity of your choice.

Arrangements under the direction of:
ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home
19310 Preston Road

Dallas, TX 75252

214-340-8008