James Verl Carpenter
January 1, 1962 ~ June 7, 2023
In memory of James Verl Carpenter, 1/1/1962 - 6/7/2023
We celebrate and honor the life of James Verl Carpenter
James was born on January 1st, 1962 in the town of Hibbing, Minnesota, the son of Dennis Verl Carpenter and Maxine Marie Carpenter, and younger brother to Cheryl Zdon. He was father to Haley and Kyle Carpenter, father-in-love to Tim and Nar, uncle to Jordan Zdon, and held a special place in his heart for Aimee, Alejandro, and Gabriella Fernandez
James was a bright light in this world. His demeanor was always happy, warm, and playful, and his spirit was defined by an abundance of love. He spent his life dreaming and he shared those dreams with the world through creation
He had a special way of seeing the world - through a lens of possibility - always able to see the solution to a problem, to see the potential of things beyond their current state, and to dream a creation into being. From his childhood on, he spent his life tinkering, fixing, imagining, building, and creating. There was no problem that his mind could not solve, and nothing that his hands could not build. He had so much knowledge and kindness that he shared with us all
He loved his family deeply. He was a great father and spoke of his children to everyone he knew with the warmest pride
His texts to loved ones always ended with the same message - 381
“3 words, 8 letters, 1 meaning: I love you”
His life was a message of light and love into this world
He transitioned in his sleep the evening of June 6th, 2023, dreaming of new possibilities
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James was a gentle soul with a quiet sense of humor and keen intelligence. He always had a unique and interesting perspective on any topic that came up during conversation, and he was very helpful and generous with his family with his time and sharing his wisdom and knowledge. He taught Haley how to work with her hands and ride a dirt bike, and he felt that anything could be accomplished with sufficient vision, desire and determination. His creativity, personal achievements, and innovation were great motivators for his children, who created their own unique paths toward fulfilled and challenging lives. I’m so glad I was able to know him for a short time.
We come into this world crying while others rejoice. We leave this world rejoicing while others cry.
James made a beautiful deck/BBQ place in our back yard! It separated our back yard from the pool area and keep my children and all children visiting and playing safe for sooo many years!! Thank you James🤗❤️
James was a unique, one of a kind, American Original. He was a genius that could fix or build anything and brought good cheer and love to all who his life touched. HE WILL BE SORELY MISS!!!
James, you will be missed. Barbara and I will never forget your creativity and good humor. Rest in Peace.
He is at rest now, and we who are left are the ones to suffer
What an intelligent, sweet, funny and gentle person and friend. He will be missed everyday. Blessed to have had him as a friend.
James was always a truly warm and happy individual. You helped us out many times over the years with never a complaint. We will miss him and his humor and his laugh. God bless his soul.
We are now sending pink loving light, green healing light, & golden light to guide your family on their way. May they know & feel your presence in each moment surrounding them, loving & protecting then. May you be at peace on your journey my brother & son. We love & hold you & your family in our prayers. We are here holding you.
James…you are missed…I loved your engaging banter while you where working on so many projects over the years, never a dull moment and always a smile and laughter, and so many fun texts inbetween…No one can fill the void of creativity you have left behind, figuring out a new project and then taking it to the next level…you were so gifted at that. I called you friend, and loved when you came with your mom…You are together now, no better place to be than in her safe arms again…
James’ obituary gave a complete picture of the man he was
I would add that he was unique in that he was honest, a loyal friend and a visionary
It is not often to have someone like him in our lives. It was a gift to have known him
I will keep you always in my heart.You brought kindness and joy to Alejandro and Gabriella in those years you lived together as a family. I am sure this journey will take you where you deserved to be "the realm of love".
Will definitely miss you brother. Kind soul
My heart has been heavy since hearing of Jame's passing. When I think of James I think about how he always made me feel like we had a connection. His last text to me referenced something we had talked about and he text, "I've been smiling all day for you." And oh the talent he possessed! He was brilliant at his craft! Although, every time he would come to do a project, we would always ask ourselves, "I wonder how many electrical outlets James will want to put in this time." He also loved my parents and would look for any opportunity to spend time with them. When he saw them in April he called me to tell me about their visit. He said he wanted to take my dad fishing. He truly was a treasure.
You will be missed my friend.
I enjoyed working with you.
Rest in peace.
Love,
Lewis and Debbie
You will be missed my friend.
I enjoyed working with you.
Rest in peace.
Love,
Lewis and Debbie
James, you began with me as a contractor and ended as a dear friend. There was only room in your heart for creation, fun and caring for all who were lucky enough to be touched by you, you gentle man. May God rest your soul
James was a true friend and gifted worker. There are so many things on my farm that he fixed. He always spent time thinking of a solution before he came and worked wonders. I will miss him. I always depended on a solution from him. Anything from repairs after a hurricane to mysterious electrical problems. James, I know you are enjoying heaven, but stop by for a visit when you can.
I feel as if a light has gone out of my life. We had planned to have some espresso together soon. He was always good to have around and I am luckier than most in that his clever and meticulous work surrounds me. The Theatre of Memory wouldn't be as beautiful as it is without his brilliant contributions. I will always be grateful that he was in my life. Rest easy, dear friend.
Will definitely miss you brother. Kind soul
Dad, I love you so much. At the same time, I can both feel you hear with us, and miss you like hell, wishing you were here.
– You taught me so many things, and you created the foundation of who I am
– You taught me The Beatles, the Monkees, the Eagles, Credence, the Steve Miller Band, and so many more, and taught me a deep love of cover songs
– You taught me to see the magic in this world, whether that was through a rusty Volkswagen, or the realm of tooth fairies
– You took me on adventures, with goosel, on motorcycles, to find hidden arrowheads, and canoe rides down rivers
– You taught me how any emotion can be communicated with the appropriately selected shared memory of a movie scene or song quote
– You taught me how it’s ok to lose at chess, and in doing so how to look at myself to be a better person
– You taught me that bad ideas can be good ideas sometimes, too –
– Like gasoline on bonfires
– Like toddlers on motorcycles
– Like teaching kids to shoot guns
– Like how squirrels are pets, and raccoons are friends
– And like how TV ratings are irrelevant for family movie time
– You taught me the ingredients of a good life: laughter, light, and love
Thank you for loving us so much and for being present with us as we grew up
Thank you for being my dad
381 Dad, I’ll carry you with me always
What a beautiful tribute to your father!
I came to know James working with him at “the olive farm”. What endeared him was his great teaching skills. No ego involved, he wanted you to succeed. He was patient, funny, succinct and kind. We shared our stories between the whine of the saw and the bang of a nail.
James loved his children and was proud of them. I always inquired about ya’ll whenever we talked so I could hear how you were but mostly to give him the opportunity to share his joy, I could hear the smile in his voice.
Y’all were well loved. Peace and love be with you.
James,
Thank you for all that you did for us. You filled a role the best that you could and I will be forever grateful for you. Thank you for all the lessons that you taught me, they will never be forgotten. Teaching me how to ride a motorcycle, shoot guns, inspiring me to pick up the guitar again, the value of manual labor… I wouldn’t be the man I am today had it not been for you.
Rest easy now
381, Ale
Thank you for being the light that shone so bright in our lives when we needed it the most. Thank you for filling in the void we had at our lowest of times with never ending love and happiness. You always seemed to have a solution to every problem, and always carried yourself with such a positive outlook on life. Thank you for contributing to such a happy childhood; nikita as my tooth fairy and goosel as my mischievous partner in crime. Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives for as long as we were. Rest easy, I love you. 381
My heart was filled with a deep and special sadness as we had talked so much especially recently. He was having lucid dreams about his Mom talking to him and other insights he would call to share with me as he knew I would understand. He loved his family and friends deeply and always wanted to please everyone. I remember when Cheryl told he was moving to town and asked if I could help him launch his carpentry business. He was so creative, talented and skilled that it was easy to recommend him to my family and friends and the community to the point that he was too busy. He started with projects with me and ended with my project. He was a dear friend and was loved by my family and friends. He was so proud of all his loved ones. You will be greatly missed but I know you’re at peace and can rest and your brilliant light will shine within all our hearts! Love you Buddy! Vicki ✨😇🙏🏼🫶🏼❤️✨