Lt. Colonel Hubert Carpenter

Former Jefferson State Instructor Passes Away 

Below is the obituary for LT. COLONEL HUBERT L. Carpenter...

 

An officer and gentleman scholar left this world on December 28, 2013. He was born near Carthage, Mississippi on June 30, 1923, one of 9 children born to Earl Carpenter and Bertie Ganann Carpenter. He lived the life of a farmer's son until graduating from Carthage High School in 1941.

After a short time working, he joined the Army, where he was deployed to the South Pacific and saw his first combat on the island of Peleliu. After the war he was discharged and returned to Mississippi but re-enlisted in 1946. 

While stationed in Washington D.C., he met Mary Alice Pritchett, and they were married on Sept. 1, 1949. This union would produce a son Hugh Carpenter (Lisa), and a daughter Mareena C. Doss (Ricky), and later lead to the birth of 6 grandchildren Shellina, Chad, Edmond, Hugh Lee Jr., Ashland, Michael and four great grandchildren. After the wedding, he deployed to Japan with the Army of occupation, while his bride remained behind before joining him later. 

In 1950 he was stationed off the coast of South Korea when the North Korean Army invaded. During this time, his unit was dropped off in summer uniforms in frigid weather and left for what would be more than 3 years of fighting, where he was seriously wounded and received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his actions. 

While teaching ROTC at Mississippi State University in the early 1960's, he began to attend school. After completing his Masters degree, and after retiring from the army, he found employment at the newly formed Jefferson State Community College, in Birmingham, where he taught economics for the next 23 years. During his tenure at Jefferson State, he had many students that became lifelong friends. He also remained a student, pursuing his Doctorate at UAB in Birmingham. 

It was late in life that he met and married Judy Foder, whose family included daughter Regenia Davison (Bill), granddaughters Grace Church (Keith) and Connie Foder and four grandsons. Judy was a partner for 14 years until her untimely loss. 

Hubert is survived by his two brothers Chad Carpenter (Margaret) and TO Carpenter (Marilyn), and a sister Ernestine Adams, as well as numerous of nieces and nephews. Even with the challenges of age, he remained a warrior soldier, inquisitive scholar, champion of the underdog and a blessing to all that knew him. 

The family would welcome donations to the Jefferson State Community College scholarship in his honor.