Obituary: Rev. R. Boyd Carter

The Rev. Dr. R. Boyd Carter, minister emeritus of the United Church, Chapel on the Hill in Oak Ridge, died peacefully at home Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, after a very brief illness.

Dr. Carter was born in St. Louis, Mo., on June 15, 1940, to Marjorie and Fredric Carter. He was predeceased by his parents and brother, Dale Carter.

He is survived by his wife, Susan; brother, Glen and wife Pamela Carter of Mattoon, Ill.; son, Richard and wife Yvonne of Jacksonville, Fla.; step-daughters and husbands, Elizabeth Paige and Perry Brooks of Bend, Ore., and Amy Paige and Tim Callahan of Seattle, Wash.; and two grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren.

Dr. Carter came to the United Church in 1984 with 25 years of experience ministering to both Methodist and Continuing Congregational Churches in a number of states in the Midwest. He claimed to have been drawn to the Chapel on the Hill by an advertisement seeking a “liberal minded” minister to fill a position in a historical church in Oak Ridge. According to Dr. Carter, “I never expected to make a 23-year career here in Oak Ridge.” He attested that the wonderful people and vast experiences he encountered have made the time seemingly fly by.

During this tenure of almost 24 years with the Chapel on the Hill, the Rev. Carter estimated that he has performed approximately 1,000 weddings, 150 to 160 funerals, and prepared and delivered more than 1,100 sermons. When asked what he hopes people in his church will remember most about him, Dr. Carter responded, “I feel, and hope others feel, as though I always treated people fairly and justly and never told anyone what to believe.”

Some of Dr. Carter’s favorite memories of Chapel on the Hill revolved around the special times of Christmas Eve, when the church grounds were aglow from the soft light of hundreds of handmade luminaires, and Thanksgiving, when he performed a tailor-made Pilgrim day service. Times of celebratory fellowship and gathering as a community of faith over a meal were also focal points of his time spent with the church congregation.

Culinary activities played an important role in Dr. Carter’s life in Oak Ridge. As many people in the community know, he had a passion for cooking. For the past two years, he and a dedicated group of volunteers from the church cooked hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs at the “Neighborhood Watch Program” festival held by the Oak Ridge Police Department. He held almost celebrity status to attendees of the Lavendar Festival as master chef behind the tilapia sandwiches offered at the church’s booth. At Chapel on the Hill, he was the impetus behind the annual fish fry, Thanksgiving feast, Homecoming dinner, and All-Church Picnic.For the past 14 years, he also cooked a gourmet meal once a month for the church men’s group, and occasionally prepared special menus for “Wednesday Night on the Hill” dinners. He fashioned meals for most of the church work days, the church board retreats, and for three of the women’s annual banquets. His delight in cooking led some in the congregation to lightheartedly call the church, “The Chapel on the Grill.”

Rev. Carter’s passion for his community extends beyond food preparation for the masses. He served on many community boards and committees. They include the board of directors of Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital; the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce; at different times, both Rotary Clubs; the community Foundation where he was president for several years; the board of the Housing Development Corporation of Clinch Valley; the executive advisory board of the Oak Ridge Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals; and the board for Symposium for Advancement of Family Therapy.

During the mid-80s he was chosen to participate in one of the first classes of the Leadership Oak Ridge. He was involved in the process of bringing the Friendship Bell in Bissell Park to Oak Ridge.

He was awarded the prestigious, “2008 Executive of the Year” by the Oak Ridge Chapter of the IAAP.

Arrangements for a Celebration Memorial Service are pending for Dec. 7 at the United Church Chapel on the Hill.

Jackson Funeral Services in Oak Ridge is honored to serve the Carter family. We invite you to share your thoughts and memories with the family at jacksonfuneralservices.com.