Shirley Carter

Shirley Jean Pierce Carter of Greeneville, TN, passed away peacefully at Brookdale Greeneville Memory Care on September 3, 2026, at age 89. Her spirit entered eternal rest in the presence of her Lord and Savior. While she will be greatly missed, her family finds comfort in knowing she is reunited with the Lord and with her beloved husband of 70 years, Hadley Carter.

Shirley was a faithful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who loved the Lord, her family, friends, and students. One of her favorite Bible passages was John 14:1-3:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Shirley was the second of four children born to Hubert and Audrey (Bradley) Pierce on February 24, 1937. As she loved to tell her grandchildren, she was born in a church. Unbeknownst to her at the time, the family home where she was born had once been a church. She grew up in the Gilbreath community in Mosheim, Tennessee. Shirley attended Gilbreath School and Mosheim High School, where she was a cheerleader and softball player.

From an early age, Shirley loved to sing, play piano, and pretend to be a teacher. She sang solos at church before she started school, and by the age of eleven she was serving as the church pianist. During high school, she sang with a group of friends known as the “Silly Seven.” They were featured on local television and performed at numerous community events. Shirley always knew that she wanted to become a teacher and use her musical talents to serve the Lord.

On May 1, 1954, Shirley married her high school sweetheart, Hadley. They had three children, Belinda, Gale, and Shane. She raised her children to sing, laugh, and love. In her own words, her children were among her greatest blessings.

While her children were in school, Shirley attended East Tennessee State University and graduated with a teaching degree in 1975. Many of her art projects were displayed in campus art shows during her time at ETSU. She later earned a master’s degree in education. Throughout her career, Shirley received numerous awards for excellence in teaching and was published in a teaching magazine for an educational game she developed.

During her 25-year career as an educator, Shirley taught thousands of Greene County students at Debusk, Glenwood, and Doak Elementary Schools. She loved every student as if they were her own, and being "Mrs. Carter" brought her great joy.

Shirley was also a talented singer and musician. In addition to the piano, she played the organ, the accordion, the autoharp, the guitar, and several other instruments. She sang in various gospel groups over the years alongside family members and close friends. Music remained one of the greatest joys of her life and ministry.

In addition to her love of teaching and music, Shirley enjoyed traveling, antiquing, sewing, painting, reading her Bible, and spending time with family and friends. Her greatest desire was for her family to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and for her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren to faithfully serve him.

Shirley attended both Encompass Church in Bulls Gap, TN, and Carter’s Station Meeting House, in Greeneville, TN. She especially enjoyed watching her son, Shane Carter, sing and play the guitar as part of the worship team at Encompass Church. Carter’s Station Meeting House held a special place in her heart, as it was her husband’s childhood family church.

Shirley previously attended Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church in Mosheim, TN, which was her family church. She dearly cherished her time at Mt. Carmel Church with her family and friends, and she loved singing and playing the piano at the Mt. Carmel Gospel Singing gatherings. Throughout the years, Shirley taught Sunday School classes, sang in the choir, and faithfully played both the piano and organ.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Hadley Carter; her parents, Hubert and Audrey Pierce; her brother, Ted Pierce; and her sister, Merita Goodman.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Belinda and Ronnie Cansler; her sons, Gale Carter, and Shane and Lorri Carter; her sister, Martha Ford; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

The family will receive friends on Monday, September 7, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home in Greeneville. The funeral service will follow at 4 p.m., with Jesse Bible officiating.

Interment will be held at Brown Springs Cemetery in Mosheim following the service.

Pallbearers will include Billy Wayne Bradley, Burke Vander Lind, Kelly Markham, Michael Carter, Mannix Jones, and Eli Markham.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Ronnie Cansler, Richard Goodman, Eddie Ford, Mark Ford, Lester Ford, and Teddy Gibson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Encompass Church or Carter’s Station Meeting House.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Brookdale Greeneville Memory Care and the Amedisys Hospice Care Team for the compassion, love, and care they provided to Shirley. The family also wishes to thank Shirley’s dear cousin, Betty Beach, for visiting Shirley each week at Brookdale.

Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.kiserrosehillfuneralhome.com