Don Calvin Carter

Don Calvin Carter was born on July 26, 1950, to the late Coley Davis Carter and Flossie Bernice Campbell Carter. A lifelong hard worker, devoted father, proud grandfather and great-grandfather, Don built a life centered around family, hard work, helping others, and being there for the people he loved.

Don spent many years as the owner of Hickory Radiator Service, where his love and knowledge of cars, and his ability to fix them, served him well. He later transitioned into sales, spending 29 years with Southern Furniture Hardware.

If something was broken, especially a car, Don was the person you called. He always seemed to know what was wrong, how to fix it, or at the very least, what you needed to do next. He was generous with that knowledge and was always willing to lend a hand or offer advice. He especially loved passing his knowledge and skills on to his son, Jacob. Through countless lessons about cars, tools and how things worked, Don was teaching him much more than how to fix something. He was teaching his son to work hard, trust what he knew, stand on his own two feet and build a life for himself, lessons Jacob will carry with him for the rest of his life.

He was also famous among family and friends for his homemade salsa. The recipe was his secret, and everyone knew there was nothing quite like a batch of Don’s (Krapaol’s) salsa.

But of everything Don did and accomplished during his life, nothing compared to the pride he had in his family.

His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were his greatest accomplishment, and being their Dad, Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa was a role he never took lightly. Don was the kind of Grandpa who showed up.

Ball games, cheer competitions, dance recitals, school performances, graduations, birthday parties and everything in between. If one of his grandchildren was involved, Grandpa was there. It didn’t have to be a major milestone. If it mattered to one of his grandkids, it mattered to him. They never had to wonder whether Grandpa would be there cheering them on, because he was.

Don is survived by his children, Aireale Knowles and husband Gary, Lisa Arrowood and husband Cory, and Jacob Carter and Tricia; his grandchildren, Makayla, Logan, Olivia, Taylor, Melina, Kensley, Lila, Dylan and Carter; and his great-grandchildren, Amiri and Reyna.

He is also survived by his brother, Ray Carter, and stepsons, Jeremy, Derick, Shawn, and Aaron.

Don leaves behind far more than the work he accomplished. He leaves behind a family that knew without question how proud he was of them. He leaves behind countless memories from ball fields, gyms, birthday parties and family gatherings; plenty of car advice; a secret salsa recipe everyone wishes they knew; and a lifetime of simply being there.

For his family, that may be the best way to describe Don: he showed up again and again, for the people he loved. And that love and devotion will live on through the family he was so incredibly proud of.

A Celebration of Don’s life will be held at 5pm on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at Drum Funeral Home with Pastor Wally officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service at 4pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Don’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a charity that was especially close to his heart. He “loved those little kids”.