Allen G. Carter, Sr

Allen Gladwell Carter, Sr., affectionately know as “Senior” to his friends and family passed away peacefully in his son Allen Jr.’s arms on Friday, July 31st in Wood Dale, Illinois at the age of 89 almost six months to the day of his wife, Frances’, passing.

Senior is survived by his son, Allen, Jr., daughter-in-law, Mary, and grandchildren; Claire, Allen III (Wells), and Emma.  Claire lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, Wells in Salt Lake City and Emma is still at home with Allen, Jr. and Mary in Chicago.

Senior was born on June 27th, 1931 in Hampton Bays, New York to Cecil and Josephine Carter.  He graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1953 with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  As part of the ROTC program, he served our country in the US Army in Korea and then joined General Electric in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.  He quickly established himself as an International Marketing Executive and over the course of his long career with GE and then Unisys, he traveled the world extensively. 

He met the love of his life, Frances, in 1964 and the two were married in June of 1965.  Allen Jr. was born in 1966 and the family settled in the Main Line Philadelphia area.  His business took them to Grosse Pointe, Michigan for a dozen years or so and then back to the Philadelphia area where upon retirement, Senior and Frances made Greenville, Delaware their home. 

Throughout Senior’s life, he was an incredibly talented artist. After leaving the corporate world, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Chester State University to develop his craft.  He became a regionally acclaimed talent with works published in several journals and featured in significant art publications.  His art was exhibited at The Tower Hill School and was featured in multiple galleries.  The creation process gave him energy and his enthusiasm was infectious to all of those around him.

Senior loved life! His hobbies included flying his private plane on Long Island, serving as a recovery diver on the Schuylkill River, sailing in the Great Lakes and designing as an amateur architect.  He was a member of the New York Athletic Club, The Union League Club of Philadelphia, The University Club of Chicago and active in The Society of Colonial Wars, The St. Nicholas Society and The Sons of the American Revolution.  His charitable efforts were extensive and his work on the board of the Hemophilia Foundation in Pennsylvania was particularly impactful.

He was incredibly social and loved to gather people into community. He started a popular “Artists Breakfast Group” in the Brandywine River Valley. He exercised at the YMCA in Wilmington, Delaware, for many years and founded and chaired the “Steam Room Committee” – a group of regulars at the Y who became a band of faithful friends. He was a man of kindness; time and again he reached out to the isolated and lonely to pull them into his circle.  He was a steadfast friend and mentor most especially to the wounded, hard to love, and to those in need.  He made a positive impact on so many people with his life. He was a blessing to all who knew him.

Private services will be held in Wilmington, Delaware and Chicago, Illinois. The family would like to especially thank the staff at the Radcliff in Wood Dale, Illinois and the kind people of Capital Hospice for their care both of Frances and Senior this year.