Willis Gray Carpenter, Jr.

CARPENTER, JR.DURHAM Mr. Willis “Gray” Carpenter, Jr., 68, of 2502 Redwood Road, died on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.Mr. Carpenter was a native and lifelong resident of Durham. He served in the U. S. Army National Guard for 7 years. During which time he was promoted to Sergeant and later served an additional year in the Reserves. Mr. Carpenter retired from IBM Corp. in 1997 after 35 years of service. He was a member of the Redwood Volunteer Fire Department and served as Assistant Chief for 12 years. He was a member of Plainview Baptist Church.He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Brenda Dawson Carpenter; one son, Willis Gray Carpenter III and wife, Kim of Oxford; one daughter, Monica Carpenter Frye and husband, Chad of Oak Ridge NC; his mother, Lois Sherron Carpenter of Durham; one sister, Brenda Carpenter Evans and husband, Jerry of Garner; five grandchildren, Kayla Michelle Frye, Landon Gray Frye, Amber Grace Carpenter, Kelly Nicole DeHart and Nicholas Wade DeHart.Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Plainview Baptist Church. Pastor Doug Nalley will officiate. Interment will be in Oak Grove Memorial Gardens. Active pallbearers will be Mark Carpenter, Richard Dean, Jerry Evans, Kenneth Hunt, George Woods and Douglas Wyatt.The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Hudson Funeral Home and other times at the home, 2502 Redwood Road.