Obituary of Robert J. Carpenter

Robert J. Carpenter, age, 84, of Rome, died peacefully, July 8, 2010. He was born March 2, 1926, in Natural Bridge, NY, the son of Clinton and Sophie Chaffee Carpenter. He attended West Carthage School. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944, and served as a left blister gunner on B-29s in Guam. Robert was united in marriage to the former Constance Kerr on October 12, 1946, at the Glenfield Methodist Church. He graduated from Clarkson University in Potsdam in 1951. Robert began his civil engineering career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He served in the Buffalo District as a design engineer in the construction field. In 1954, he served as Project Engineer for the construction of the Eisenhower Lock and Tunnel on the Seaway. In 1958, he supervised the construction of the "breakwall" in Oswego Harbor. In 1960, he worked as coordinator in California between the Corps of Engineers, Ballistic Missile Construction Office and the underground ICBM Titan I facilities. In 1963, at Cape Kennedy, FL., he was Project Engineer on Pad 36B, Atlas-Centuri Titan III, Mobile Service Tower, Saturn V Moon Project. From 1967-1974, he served as Assistant Chief of Construction W/S Atlantic Division in Atlanta, GA. Robert is survived by his wife, Connie; a daughter and son in law, Mary and Morgan Parris of Greenville, SC; two sons and daughters in law, R. Scott and Beth Carpenter of Dover-Foxcroft, ME, and William and Ramona Carpenter, Jackson, TN; a brother, Dr. Howard Carpenter of Bowling Green, KY; 12 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by a sister, Elizabeth Sheets in 1993. The funeral service will be held Monday at 10:00 AM, at the Gospel Light Baptist Church, 1603 St. Agnes Avenue, Utica, NY, with Pastor Jody Martin, officiating. Burial will be Evergreen Cemetery, Town of Lee, NY. There are no calling hours. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Barry Funeral Home, 807 W. Chestnut Street, Rome, NY