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. [Read more…]