Gerald Carpenter Obituary

Gatherings to commemorate the life of Gerald Carpenter will be announced shortly.  Donations may be made to your favorite veteran’s organization.

Gerald David Carpenter was born May 1947, in Rhome, TX to the home of Virginia “Josie” (McCrary) and William Robert Carpenter, Jr. and died June 26, 2026 in Portales.  Mr. Carpenter’s early life was spent in the Fort Worth/Dallas area.  As a teenager, he and his father worked together building residential fences.  In 1964, the family relocated to the Arch community in Roosevelt county, NM.  In 1965, Gerald enlisted in the US Army, and served in Vietnam.  On Sept. 7, 1968 in Flat River, MO he was married to Georgia Mae Middleton.  In 1969, following his discharge from the Army they moved to Portales.

During the years they made their home in Portales he worked for time at a local gas station.  After a time, they moved to Dallas where he worked for a paving company.  Still later they moved to Flat River, MO where he drove a taxicab.  In 1975, they moved back to Portales, and he began working at the Borden Peanut Co.  In addition, he helped his father on the family farm.  From the early 1980’s until they moved to Levelland in 1989, he was deeply involved in the Floyd community where he was an EMT and IV tech with the Floyd Volunteer Fire Dept.  Once a week he would volunteer at the Senior Citizen Center to offer blood pressure checks. While living in Levelland, TX he began working in the oil fields as a heavy equipment operator.  In June of 2020, they moved back to Portales.

Mr. Carpenter was a man of deep faith in God.  Through the various locations he and his family had been involved in several different church congregations.  He enjoyed doing woodworking projects and painting.  He also liked working word searches and other puzzles.  When his dad was living, he and his father often went fishing together.  During the time they were living in MO he was known to be in the kitchen with his mother-in-law baking bread.

He is survived by Georgia, his wife of nearly 58 years of their home; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Gerald Carlos and Robin Carpenter of Smyer, TX and Joshua Carpenter of Portales; a daughter, Donna Arlene Ellis; eight grandchildren, William Robert (Kayla) Carpenter, Hailey (Damien) Gonzales, Brandon Carpenter, Kimberly Carpenter, Shawna Carpenter-Lopez and husband, Logan, Kegan Carpenter, Coleen Chobra and Christina Ziska; eight great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Shirley Ann Cater of Elida, NM and Betty Jo Frances of Portales.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his oldest son, William Glenwood Carpenter.