Obituary of Dr. William D. Carpenter

Dr. William D. Carpenter, 80, of Fairmont, passed away on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at the Pittsburgh V.A. Medical Center. He was born May 23, 1942 in Webster Springs, WV a son of the late Ova and Sarah Cochran Carpenter. He was preceded in death by his wife, Pamela LaMont Carpenter, and is survived by his second first true love and companion, Janet Mundell. Dr. Carpenter was a 1960 graduate of Webster Springs High School where he was the student body President and all-conference football player. He earned a bachelor of science degree in Wildlife Management in 1966. Bill was a veteran with the United States Army and served during Vietnam in the 1st Cav., 75th Infantry Division, and was wounded in combat. He received the Bronze Star with V Device, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Following his military service, Bill earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1974 and practiced in Waynesboro, VA, later Elkton, VA, and finally in Fairmont, WV where his owned and operated the Deerfield Animal Clinic for over 33 years. Bill served as a Professor of Veterinary Technology at Fairmont State and resigned as full professor in 1996. He was awarded the Veterinarian of the Year from the WV Veterinary Medical Association in 2007. Bill also served as a Boy Scout scoutmaster for several years, and was involved with the Sheriff’s Department search and rescue unit. He compiled and published the book, Historical Occurrences of the LRRP/ Rangers of the 1st Cavalry Division in the Vietnam War. “Strawberry Fields Forever”. Dr. Carpenter is survived by his son, Daniel and his wife Tonya Carpenter of Clarksville, TN, his two grandchildren, Rhett Nichols and Alexandria “Ali” Nichols, both of Fairmont, his sister Carolyn and her husband Robert Lewis of Shalllotte, NC, his brother Ronald and his wife Joy Carpenter of Windsor, CO, as well as 15 nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Stacy Carpenter Nichols, his sister Barbara and her husband Kenneth Nicholson, and his brother Thomas and his wife Ann Carpenter. Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate, And though I oft have passed them by, A day will come at last when I Shall take the hidden paths that run West of the Moon, East of the Sun. J.R.R. Tolkien The family has entrusted the arrangements to Ford Funeral Home, 201 Columbia Street, Fairmont, WV. Friend and family may visit on Sunday, March 5, 2023 from 4PM until 8PM and on Monday, March 6, 2023 from 10 AM until 12noon. The funeral will be held in the funeral home on Monday at 12 noon with Reverend Dr. Allan Copenhaver officiating. Interment will follow at the W.V. Nation Cemetery in Pruntytown, WV. Military rites will be held by the Marion County Veterans Council. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fordfuneralhomes.com.