Information provided by son, Joe Carter.

Jeffrey N. Carter was born in Painesville, Ohio.  He grew up on a farm, learning the value of hard work.  Jeffrey was a stand-out athlete at Eastlake High, particularly playing football and baseball, earning him the honor of being inducted into their Hall of Fame.  He earned a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina, but his career was cut short by a knee injury.  Jeffrey Carter entered the Army from Kent, Ohio, serving for 31 years, earning a number of awards, including the Silver Star for action in Vietnam.  Some of his best friends are those he served with.  A number of them are here today.  As with many combat veterans, PTSD would haunt his nights, and caused him stress as he raised his family. 

As his family grew to include grandchildren, he began to soften and his love for his family grew more apparent.  He enjoyed spending time with family members shopping, going to dance recitals, softball games and soccer matches.  He loved grilling T-Bone steaks in his back yard.

The greatest shift in his life was when he gave his life to Jesus.  This transformation helped him deal the burden of his service in Vietnam and with his PTSD.  Jeff spent much time with his Christian brothers in his Christian Leadership Concepts study.  He and his wife, Barbara, would visit hospitals and pray with patients.  He was fortunate to have two great loves in his life.  His wife, Barbara, of 49 years and his fiancé, Kathy.  He was described by some as like an old pick-up truck, hard-working and the bigger the load, the more he liked it.  Jeff was a gentleman, living and loving well.