Obituary of M. LeRoy Carpenter

M. Leroy (Roy) Carpenter of Iowa City passed away on Monday, April 19, 2010 at Mercy Hospital following a brief illness. Services will be held at 10:30am on Friday, April 23 at the Gay & Ciha Funeral home. Burial with military honors will be at the Lone Tree Cemetery. Friends and family may call between 4:00-7:00pm at the Gay & Ciha Funeral home on Thursday evening, April 22. Memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church and Pathways Adult Day Care Center. Roy was born near Lone Tree, the son of Charles and Frieda (Schuessler) Carpenter. He graduated from Lone Tree High School in 1940. In 1941, he attended Iowa State Teachers College. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corp in 1942. In 1943, he completed courses in Radio Communications at the University of Iowa, College of Electrical Engineering. Following completion of these courses, he was transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force and served in active duty with 462 Army Air Force Battalion as a Radar Reporting Platoon Crew Chief. He served in this capacity until he was awarded an Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Army Air Force in March 1946. Upon returning home, he joined and has maintained a life membership with the John L. Mumm American Legion Post Number 457. On March 5, 1947, Roy married Milly Campbell in the First Congregational Church’s Little Chapel. They established a rural home near Lone Tree where they owned and operated a farm until they moved to Iowa City in 1983. At that time they became members of the First United Methodist Church. During his residence near Lone Tree, Roy was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church and its’ predecessors. During this time, he served many years as Sunday school teacher, Church School Superintendant, and Church Board member. Roy also served as Cub Scout Master and Explorer Scout leader at Lone Tree. In 1962, Roy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa, followed by a Master of Arts degree in 1971. Also in 1971; he earned a Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate and was extended a membership in the Phi Delta Kappa Professional Fraternity of Educators. Roy taught for many years in the Nichols, Muscatine, and Iowa City School Systems. Roy will be missed by his wife of 63 years, Milly, his son William J. Carpenter (Nancy) of Naperville, Illinois, daughter Jan Key (Marc) of Ojai, California and daughter Kay Rosheim (Matthew) of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Jeffrey Carpenter, Andrew Carpenter, Amy (Carpenter) Tackett, Ryan Key, Christina Key, Laura Rosheim, Erik Rosheim and four great-grandchildren; Hunter and Jacob Tackett, Alexander Carpenter and Penny Carpenter. Roy was preceded in death by his parents, sister Geraldine (Carpenter) Heither and brother Warren Carpenter.