Ted H Carpenter, beloved husband and dad, returned to his Heavenly Father on July 22, 2014. He had been a resident of Mesa since September 1994.
Ted was born on May 17, 1926, in Pima, AZ, to James Harley and Gladys Maloy Carpenter, the 2nd of five children and quite a few foster children. His older sister Ruth Crabtree (Graydon) preceded him in death. Ted is survived by his sister Bonnie Gregg of Safford, AZ, two brothers, Doug (Barbara) of Pima, and Dan (Peggy) of Gilbert, and two foster siblings Uleta Duncan and Dorice Cheschilly.
Ted enlisted in the Navy at age 17 during World War II on May 13, 1944, and served until June 10, 1946 for a total of 2 years and 28 days. He was with the Hedron FAW Eight, USNAB Navy #807. First he was a chauffeur for a captain on a base in California. He was then sent to the Marshall Islands at Ebeye in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean as a Seaman First class where he remained throughout the rest of the war. He was in charge of keeping generators running on the island and in charge of Shore Patrol. The U. S. was planning for the invasion of Japan when the first two atomic bombs exploded on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. This brought about the end of World War II.
Once Ted returned to Pima, he met and married Imogene Jensen on August 2, 1947, in Safford with whom he had five children: Karen, Danalea, Jody Martinez, Ted Elliot, and Kelly. Following work with the Forest Service in Oregon, Ted drove trucks for El Paso Natural Gas, next working on the pipeline. He worked for TransWestern pipeline for 12 years. Wanting to drive semis, Ted got a job in Flagstaff with Yellow Freight Line Co. Eventually they transferred Ted to Albuquerque where he and his family lived. Ted retired from Yellow Freight in 1988. Following a divorce, Ted and his son Ted E. had a towing business together in Sacramento, California.
In 1994 Ted moved to Mesa, AZ, to be close to his brothers Doug and Dan. Ted served a mission with the Mesa Family History Library from June 1995 – May 1997. Ted and Judith Rittenhouse were married on December 27, 1996, in the Mesa, AZ Temple. Ted and Judith served a mission at the Salt Lake City Family History Library August 2001 to July 2002. Ted was a very fine father to her children. Ted and Judith have lived together in Mesa for the past 17 years.
Ted is survived by his wife Judith Rittenhouse and her two children: April Tucker of Gilbert, and Lt. Col. Thomas W. Tucker (Carola) of Springfield, VA, parents of Judith’s only grandchild, Sonja Judith Emily Tucker. Ted was preceded in death by his parents James Harley and Gladys Maloy Carpenter and a granddaughter Jamie Cope Bennee. Ted is also survived by his former wife Imogene Jensen Carpenter and their five children: Karen Mueller (Monty) of Sacramento, CA; Danalea Cope (Dennis) of Mesa, AZ; Jody Martinez (Ron) of Sacramento; Ted E. Carpenter (Kaylea) of Oceanside, Ca; and Kelly Patrick (Craig) of Provo, Utah, along with 20 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
The Friday night viewing on August 1 will be held at Bunker’s Garden Chapel, 33 North Centennial Way. Funeral services are Saturday, August 2, at 10:30 a.m. at the 34th Ward of Mesa East Stake, 2152 E. Adobe St., Mesa, AZ 85213 preceded by a visitation there at 9: 30 a.m. Final interment to follow at Mea City Cemetery, Mesa, AZ.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of Ted to Hospice of the Valley, 2020 E. Woodside Court, Gilbert, AZ 85297.
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