Fay Osment Carpenter

7/8/1932-8/20/2024

Fay was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Dr. George K. Carpenter, Jr. , by her parents, Laura Kathreen Mayers and Horace Osment, and by her three sisters, Jessie Osment Evans (Dr. Tommy N.), Cathreen Osment Carlen Hopkins (Walter H.), and Emme Osment Norvell (William E.), and by her brother, Horace Osment, Jr. (Bubba). She is survived by her son, Dr. George K. Carpenter, III, and daughter-in-law, Dr. Lavenia Buchanan Carpenter, and by her grandchildren Army 2nd Lt. George K. Carpenter, IV and Lavenia Katherine Carpenter, and her sister-in-law Florence Carpenter Beall.

Fay was born in Nashville, graduated valedictorian from Peabody Demonstration school, attended the University of Michigan for two summer sessions, and received, in 1952 and 1953, her BA and MA degrees from Peabody College. She was a member of Kappa Delta Pi National Honorary Society and national honor societies in social studies and Spanish and worked throughout her college years in the Bureau International de Correspondencia Escolar for Dr. Milton Shane. She taught in the Free Will Baptist College, elementary schools in Davidson County, Memphis, and Nashville, and Nashville and Memphis high schools. For three years she was an Industrial Engineering Assistant at Western Union headquarters in New York City while Dr. Carpenter completed his advanced training in orthopaedic surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

After Dr. Carpenter began his medical practice back in Nashville, he and Fay centered their lives around young George, then George and Lavenia, and then grandchildren Kenyon and Kate. Family oriented, Fay served as chairman of the Ensworth Auction in 1975 and the Montgomery Bell Academy annual Spaghetti Supper in 1978. She also served as officer and board member of the Davidson County Young Republicans, the Davidson County Medical Auxiliary, the Family and Children’s Service, and the Centennial Club. She was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, Hillmeade and Windemere Garden Clubs, the Tennessee Society of the University of Tennessee, and the Roundtable of the College Cabinet of Vanderbilt University. She was also a life member and officer of the former Vanderbilt Aid Society. She also served on the Auxiliary to the former Old Woman’s Home.

Fay and George’s happiness was sharing with their family and friends through the years. They also enjoyed his retirement years with world travel, their fishing cabin on the

Tennessee River, their annual week on Sanibel Island, and their second home in Destin, Florida.

Fay requested that there be no formal visitation and no funeral service. She asked that any memorials be made to University School of Nashville, 2000 Edgehill Avenue, 37212.