John Lewis Carpenter
One of Whitefish Montana’s most memorable citizens, John Carpenter, has passed away after a lengthy struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was released from his broken body on Aug. 2, 2020.
Due to the current situation with COVID-19, there will be a memorial service in the summer of 2021 with announcements of the exact date to be posted in late spring of next year.
John was born on the kitchen table of a farmhouse on July 26, 1936 to Lewis and Hazel Carpenter in Rocksand Township Michigan. He is survived by his four former tax deductions: Brian, DeeAnn, Bruce and Heather, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Dwight, Dale, and Joyce as well as two wives Judith and Muriel.
John was fortunate enough to have two incredibly patient, understanding, committed, forgiving, and Godly women in his life... Admittedly without whom, his success in life would have been greatly diminished. His first wife Judith (Judy) of 50 years and mother of his four children passed in 2007 from cancer, and his second wife Muriel of 11 years passed in 2019 also from cancer.
John taught middle school math science in Whitefish during the 60s 70s and 80s. His students and peers loved him and his unconventional approach to education. He had an after-school airplane club, was often the perpetrator of explosions and crazy noises echoing through the halls, and was regularly seen on the front page of the local paper with a group of students doing grand creative experiments...
John Carpenter made school fun and inspired hundreds of students to open their minds.
John (with the help of wife Judy) surpassed his life-long goal of donating more than $1 million to churches and charities over a 50 year span. The remainder of his estate is in a perpetual trust with the Moody Bible Institute to assist young people with scholarships to attend college.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman his entire life as well as a Radio Control airplane fanatic. He was the best friend a guy could have and always ready help a neighbor out. He was intelligent, creative, artistic, funny, and a little bit cocky at times. He had a PHD and was proud of the nickname “Dr.
Bullpucky.” He was also very proud to call himself “chintzy and frugal” and bragged that he had never bought a steak at a restaurant in his lifetime. He wore $12 rubber work boots eight months out of the year and $10 tennis shoes the other four months... and he would never be seen with a fishing pole in his hand and without that old leather cowboy hat with the pheasant feathers on his head.
The family would like to send out a very special thank you to John’s good friend Keith B. for all you have done for Dad in his final years.
John was a man to remember... and if you ever met him... you do.