John William Carter

John was born in Tuskegee in Creek County, Oklahoma on August 4, 1927. He had a happy childhood living in oilfield towns around Oklahoma and Texas. He graduated from Odessa High School in May, 1945 and enlisted in the United States Marines. He was honorably discharged in late 1946 and returned to Texas.

John’s entire career was spent in the oil patch. He started as a roughneck and worked his way up.

John met and married the love of his life, Marlene Hazelbaker, in 1957. With Marlene’s encouragement, he went to college and obtained a degree in geology from the University of Oklahoma.

John was a gentle and good man. He was an ideal husband and father. He had a deep interest in history and the natural world. He loved researching family genealogy, hunting for arrowheads, and road-tripping around Texas and Oklahoma.

John and Marlene moved to San Antonio in 1997, where they joined Coker United Methodist Church. They made many friends in the John Wesley Sunday School class.

During his days here on Earth, John touched many lives. He was loved deeply by family and friends and gave us a lifetime of love and memories. He will be dearly missed by his wife of 63 years, Marlene; his daughter, Denise Nipper and son-in-law Hunter Nipper; his son, Johnny Carter and daughter-in-law Nataya Carter; his four grandchildren, Michael Nipper, Cole Nipper, Casey Carter, and Ethan Carter; and many other family members and friends. John has been reunited in Heaven with his parents, John and Eula Bell Carter, and his brother, Howard Carter.

John’s life will be celebrated with a Graveside Service at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, at Mission Burial Park North.

A Celebration of Life will be held on November 14, 11:00 at First Presbyterian Church San Antonio (404 N. Alamo St). COVID-19 restrictions, including face masks and social distancing, will be required. For those that can not attend, the service will be live-streamed at https://vimeo.com/473555550

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Coker United Methodist Church.