Dr. John L. Carpenter

John Loder Carpenter went home to be with Jesus Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the age of 79.

A funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m., Monday, April 29, 2024, in the Chapel at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, Waco, Texas, with a reception to follow in the Garden Room. There will be a graveside service at 9:45 a.m., Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

John was born December 15, 1944, to proud parents AJ and Lucille Carpenter in New London, Connecticut. As an only child, he created his own games—his favorite being Step Ball. He and his parents moved around quite a bit, including periods of time in Guam and on Governor’s Island off New York.

John graduated from Bucknell University with dual majors in biology and chemistry, while there, he also balanced his academic pursuits with playing football and baseball. Following graduation, he pursued his medical education at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. It was during this time that he met Nell on a blind date in October 1968. The two soon discovered their shared passion for microbiology and sports. John proposed on New Year’s Eve, and they were married June 14, 1969, in Weimar, Texas.

After graduation, John and Nell adventured to the northeast where John completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Their first two daughters were born during their time there. Subsequently, the family relocated across the country, where they welcomed the twins. One last move in the Army took the family to Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where John served as the Chief of Infectious Diseases and later Medicine. There is an enduring research award named in his honor that is presented to an internal medicine resident. At one point he was the youngest Full Bird Colonel in the Army before retiring from military service in 1986.

After retiring from the military, John transitioned to the VA in Dallas before joining the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical School. During his time at UTSW, he was named favorite professor for 10 consecutive years. Although he enjoyed his time at UTSW, one last move took John and Nell to Waco, Texas, where John worked at Scott and White in Temple where he created the Infectious Diseases fellowship program that still exists today. During his career he published numerous articles, won numerous awards, and influenced generations of physicians. He retired in 2012, dedicating his time to traveling the world with his family.

In his free time, you could find him wandering the aisles of the bookstore focusing his attention on the Revolutionary War. When his nose was not in a book, John loved spending time with his daughters and grandchildren. On weeknights and weekends, he and Nell would relax watching the sport of the season—his favorite teams being the Baylor Bears, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, and Buffalo Bills. But his favorite thing was Sunday night dinners with all of his loving family around.

He was preceded in death by his parents, AJ and Lucille Carpenter.

John is survived by his wife of 54 years, Nell; daughter, Karen and her husband, David; daughter, Kim and husband, Billy; daughter, Kristy and husband, Steve; daughter Kandy, and husband, Chris; 6 grandsons, John and Joshua Schultz, Liam Nesmith, Drew and Zach Brischke, and Brooks Bullajian; and 2 granddaughters, Mackenzie Nesmith, and Sophie Bullajian.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of John Carpenter may be made in support of the Infectious Disease fellows at Baylor Scott & White. You may make your gift online or by check, made payable to Baylor Scott & White. Please mail to: BSW CTX Foundation, MS-20-S103, 2401 S. 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508. http://ctxfoundation.bswhealth.com/InfectiousDisease

The family invites you to leave a message or memory John’s “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com

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