Obituary of Mary Carter

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Mary Helen Deuchler Carter passed away at home on April 3, 2009, in strength and dignity, encircled by her family. Mary was 77 and died of cancer. Born Jan. 25, 1932, in Lyons, N.Y., Mary graduated from Simmons College in Boston. She left a position with a New York City bank to become an administrator of Antioch College's Cooperative Program. After some years as homemaker, she served in several administrative positions at Goddard College and Norwich University over a 25-year period. Her final professional role was as personnel director of Norwich University in Northfield. Vermont was home for more than 30 years, and the place where Mary and Ken Carter, her husband of 49 years, raised a family of four children. Mary and Ken ventured west after retirement in 1996. The joy of the arrival of their first grandchild, Michael, led them to choose Sacramento as their new home.Everyone touched by Mary's graciousness and strength - university colleagues, neighbors, friends, her chemo nurses, even her children's pets - knew she was a wonderfully giving woman. Mary gave countless hours in service to both her East and West Coast communities. Most recently she was the volunteer editor and producer of printed publications for a Sacramento food bank, and she was the No. 1 supporter of the Sacramento Mastersingers. Nothing gave her more pleasure than warmly and with flair hosting family and friends in her home.Mary leaves behind a family filled with appreciation: husband Kenneth Carter; son Christopher Carter and his husband Peter Morse of Sacramento, Calif.; daughter Stephanie Caplan and her husband Jason Caplan; daughter Lynn Hendrix and her husband Robert Hendrix, all of Raleigh, N.C.; and daughter Laura Carter-Scheid and her husband Todd Scheid of Chapel Hill, N.C. Mary also leaves five grandchildren: Michael Carter-Morse of Sacramento, Calif., Katie Scheid of Chapel Hill, N.C., Khadijha Hendrix, Hope Caplan and Cole Caplan of Raleigh, N.C. She was predeceased by her parents, Carl and Marian Deuchler of Lyons, N.Y., and one sister, Elizabeth Bowen of Los Gatos, Calif.Contributions in Mary's memory may be sent to: Kaiser Permanente Hospice Dept., 2025 Morse Ave., Sacramento CA 95825 or Loaves and Fishes, PO Box 2161, Sacramento CA 95812.