Frank Wilkinson Carpenter

Frank Wilkinson Carpenter, 86, died on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at Plantation Estates. Frank was born April 22, 1931 in South Hill, Virginia and graduated as Valedictorian of his class (1952) at Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He then joined the Army as a second lieutenant and served in the Korean War. In 1957, he and his wife, Virginia moved to Monroe where they resided for 50 years. Frank worked for Dickerson, Inc. for many years prior to being a leader in and owner of State Utility Contractors, where he served as president until he retired. Frank was very active in Central United Methodist Church in Monroe serving in many capacities. He was also active in the United Way, the Union County Chamber of Commerce, The Union County Economic Development Commission, The Carolinas Associated General Contactors, and the Board of Adjustment for the City of Monroe serving in leadership roles in all areas. He was named the Union County Man of the Year in 2000 for his efforts to make the community better. In his later years, he worked diligently on the merger of Anson Community College and UTEC and was very proud of his involvement in helping form South Piedmont Community College. He served on the boards of both UTEC and SPCC. The college library at SPCC is named in honor of his family. Given his passion for the value of education, he was very proud to have established the Carpenter Healthcare Scholarship at SPCC as a part of his legacy. In his spare time, Frank enjoyed gardening and spending time at the mountain house he built on the New River in Ashe County. Frank is survived by his wife, Virginia and his daughters, Kay Carpenter of South Miami, FL and Scott C. McNeish of Matthews as well as his grandchildren, Drew and Hunter McNeish of Charlotte and Kelly Anderson of South Miami, FL. He is also survived by a brother, Jim Carpenter and his wife, Mary Beth of Marietta, GA. The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the staff of Plantation Estates and most particularly to the care team of the WillowBrooke Skilled Care Center for their kind and patient care. There will be a memorial service at Plantation Estates on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 2:30 PM and a private committal service will be held at a later date at the Columbarium at Central United Methodist Church in Monroe, NC. In lieu of flowers and given Frank’s commitment to the value of education, the family requests memorials made to the Carpenter Healthcare Scholarship at South Piedmont Community College at: SPCC Foundation, PO Box 126, Polkton, NC 28135. Gordon Funeral Service Crematory is caring for the Carpenter family. Online condolences may be made at www.gordonfuneralservice.com