Brenda Jane Carter

On Monday April 3, 2017, Brenda Jane (Grubb) Carter, after a courageous five-and-a-half-year battle with Multiple Myeloma, peacefully went home to be with her Lord and with all those who she so sorely missed who had gone before.

Born and raised on Farley Hill, WV on September 9th, 1943 to John and Izola (Cox) Grubb, she was a 1961 graduate of Stoco High School in Coal City, WV and moved to Arlington, VA in early May of 1963. She had a special love for Arlington and made her home in Virginia for over 53 years. It was during her earliest days in Arlington that she met a neighbor, Thomas L. Carter and they fell in love and married on November 9th, 1963 at The Arlington Baptist Church. She & Tom initially made their home in Buckingham Apartments and shortly after purchased their first home on S. Randolph St. eventually moving to Springfield, VA, Locust Grove, VA and two other locations, including her long-time home on S. 8th St. in the Alcova Heights section of Arlington.

Above all, those who knew Brenda knew of her gentle and loving ways. She was kind and caring to all she knew and welcomed new people into her life with a friendly, warm smile. Many of whom she met became not only friends but part of her extended family. She loved to be with family and friends most of all but was also an avid traveler who visited many places with the 55+ Arlington Senior Travel group and was very honored to have served on their Travel Advisory Committee.

She was a former member of The African Violet Society in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and enjoyed the raising of orchids and many different varieties of house plants. Brenda was an accomplished genealogist who’s love and commitment to documenting family history extended well beyond that of her own, but also enriched the lives and knowledge of others by helping them connect with their ancestral roots. She loved music, cooking, shopping, doing craft projects that through the years ranged from crocheting to jewelry making to floral arranging. She turned her love of flowers and plants into a career as a Floral Manager with Safeway, Inc., working at several locations in Northern Virginia before she retired in 2002.

Brenda leaves behind many who will miss her, including her siblings, Roger Grubb, Sue Kuhlman, Sam Farley, Zan Ruby and a dear sister-in-law, Mary (Jackie) Carter. She leaves a daughter Robyn Carter and a son Robert Lohr along with her nieces Dee Lilly (David), Melissa Baz (Maher), Autumn Farley, Debbie Keator (Joe), Trish Fowler (Mark), Diane Coley (Eric), and nephews Alan Carter (Melissa), and Bruce Kuhlman (Ambi). She also leaves many great-nieces and nephews in Hunter, Luke, Gibran, Jad, Sarah, Trista, Brittney, Kori, Brandon, Nathan, Nicole, Ryan, Dakota, Shannon and Kathleen. Included in the special loves of her life is a cousin, Carla Cox and a very special and dear Aunt, Mrs. Aldine Taylor.

Brenda was preceded in death by an elder sister Ramona Grubb, her parents John & Izola Grubb, husband Tom, in-laws William & Bertha Carter, and a dear sister-friend Jane Huffman and Jane’s husband Bill, along with many family members and friends who were no doubt waiting to welcome her to her eternal home.