Billy Carter

Billy Braxton Carter, 83, passed away peacefully at Cleveland Regional Medical Center in Shelby, NC on December 14, 2011. A long-time Shelby resident, Billy was born August 23, 1928 in Rockingham, North Carolina, the son of the late John D. and Gerusha Carter. Billy was preceded in death by his five siblings, John A. Carter, Ford Carter, Coley Garriga, Addie Hughes, and Mary Louise Olive. He was also preceded in death by his infant daughter, Joann Elaine. Billy is survived by his wife of 56 years, Shirley Mae Carter; son John D. Carter and his wife Becky; son Allan Carter and Meg Ryan; grandson Jerry Carter and Kylie Rethage; granddaughter Candice Taylor and Dennis Taylor. He also leaves behind sister-in-law Carolin Girault, and many loving nieces and nephews and close lifelong friends he kept up with since his childhood. The youngest of five brothers and sisters, Billy lived a robust life. Known as "Flash" during his high school days, he excelled in athletics, playing baseball and football for Rockingham High School. He loved his country…volunteering to join the Navy in 1945 when he was 17 years old. Since he was underage, he had to get his mother's permission to join. Billy served his tour of duty proudly and honorably, traveling around the world, including stops in Japan and China. After his discharge from the Navy, he entered college at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. He'd been in college for nearly a year when he was called back to duty by the Navy. Following his second tour of duty, Billy visited his sister Coley and her husband Carlos in St. Louis, Missouri and decided to stay. He was hired as a mechanic at McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft. It was there that he met the love of his life, Shirley Mae Wilegus of Foristell, Missouri. They were married on July 3, 1955 and moved to St. Charles, Missouri. Billy left McDonnell-Douglas and became a salesman for World Book Encyclopedia, rising up the ladder and becoming a regional manager. While in St. Charles, Billy and Shirley became the proud parents of John, Allan, and daughter Joann Elaine. Joann passed away when she was just nine days old. In 1965, Billy moved his family to Shelby and continued work with World Book. A few years later, still with World Book, the family moved to Asheville, then Black Mountain, and Swannanoa where they lived for several years before moving back to Shelby. Billy worked with World Book for 35 years before retiring from the company. He didn't stop working though, getting involved with numerous business ventures over the course of the years. Billy never met a stranger, which accounts a great deal for his success being a door-to-door salesman for World Book. He loved people and loved to engage in conversation. He was genuinely interested in the lives of others. Few things gave him more joy than visiting with friends. Billy was active all his life. He loved the outdoors and spent countless hours at his beloved "farm" along the Broad River. He loved sports and was a life-long fan of the New York Yankees. One of his favorite sports moments was watching Joe DiMaggio play at Yankee Stadium. He was a big fan of the Carolina Panthers, and was a PSL owner from the very beginning. Most of all, Billy loved his family. Nothing was more important to him. He also loved his Lord, Jesus Christ. A gravesite funeral service will be held Friday, December 16, at 2:00 pm at Cleveland Memorial Park, 1225 College Avenue, in Shelby. Visitation will be held prior to the service, at noon, at Cleveland Funeral Services, 2518 West Dixon Boulevard in Shelby. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to one of the following charities: The American Cancer Society, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, or the American Stroke Foundation.