Bruce Carpenter

Marlin “Bruce” Carpenter, born in Ashland, Kentucky, on July 9th, 1959, passed away on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, in his daughters’ home in New Smyrna Beach, FL after a lengthy battle with cancer. His wife, his dog and many members of his immediate family were with him.

Bruce was a resident of Volusia County, Florida for the past eighteen years, and previously of Lowndes County, Georgia. Bruce graduated from Georgia Christian School in Dasher, Georgia in 1977 and shortly thereafter joined the United States Navy where he served for six years as a Petty Officer 3rd Class abroad the aircraft carrier USS Belleau Wood.

He is proceeded in death by his father James Marlin Carpenter, his mother Gwenolla Jo Norton-Carpenter, and his sister Paula Jo Carpenter of Dasher, GA. He is survived by Dora Lee, his wife of thirty-one years, three daughters Valerie Urban (m. Michael of New Smyrna Beach, FL), Sherry Rowe (m. Eugene of Lake Park, GA), and Melanie Howell of Port Orange, FL; seven grandchildren Andrew (m. Lindsey), Mackenzie, Donnie, Kaiden, Parker, Victoria, and Emilee), and four great grandchildren (Korbin, Sawyer, Eleanor and Maddox) and his fur baby Lily.

Bruce was a loving husband and “Papaw” and humble hard-working man. After an honorable discharge from the Navy, he worked as a machine operator in a Pennsylvania steel mill, on his family’s Christmas tree farm, as a long-haul semi-truck driver, and in various manufacturing, quality control and maintenance positions in Georgia and Florida. Just prior to receiving his diagnosis he had taken a job with the county YMCA organization where he was responsible for maintenance and upkeep of a YMCA sponsored kids summer camp. He was so excited to dive into the revamping of the cabins and the grounds but did not have much time to begin as it was only a few days later that he learned he had stage 4 renal cancer. He took part in all family activities (right up to the end), enjoyed working on home DIY projects, loved spoiling and playing with the kids, spending time with his wife discovering their family’s genealogy back to the 1300’s, watching movies, and telling tall tales. He loved good food, 1980’s hard rock bands, civil war history, the HGTV channel and his family and his fur babies. Anyone who ever met Bruce always thought he was a fantastic person.

His immediate and extended family miss him so much but will carry his memory on so that the current and future generations will know their “Papaw”.

He will be carried to his final resting place at the Dasher Cemetery by his grandsons, Andrew, Mackenzie, and Parker; his sons-in-law Michael and Eugene; his brother-in-law Jamie, and his nephew Davey.

The family would like to thank those of you who supported them with donations, cards, trinkets, prayers and well wishes, the Halifax Health Medical and Oncology Centers and the great doctors who worked with Bruce, and finally, the awesome staff of Halifax Health Hospice and Music Funeral Services.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 PM Friday, January 18, 2019 in the Dasher Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at the funeral home. Sympathy may be expressed online at www.musicfuneralservices.com . The Carpenter family is being cared for by the professional and caring of Music Funeral Services, Valdosta.