David Wendell Carter

David Wendell Carter, passed into the arms of Jesus on February 9, 2025, at the age of 90. David was born in Baxley, GA on October 24, 1934, to Florbell Mincey Carter and Lory Carter. His father died when David was 3, and his mother moved with him and his sister, Joyce, to the Lakeland, FL area. His mother married A.B. Walker, and David eventually became the oldest of 9 children who nicknamed him Sonny Boy. David spent most of his life in the Lakeland area where he worked as a maintenance worker at the mines, a welder at Baughman Manufacturing Company ,a boilermaker at Mobile Chemical Corporation, the owner of Lakeland Forge and Welding, a carpenter and builder of oven equipment for Publix bakeries, and the owner/operator of Dave’s Commercial Oven Service while being a part-time cattle rancher and raising 6 children. Some of his favorite hobbies over those years were racing go-karts, riding horses, fishing, boating, and hunting. He was an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church.

David and his wife Lynn Palmore Carter moved from Lakeland to Live Oak, FL in 1990 to retire and expand their beef cattle operation. After Lynn’s death in 1994, David married Ann Brooks and continued raising cattle, growing and harvesting hay, and making sugarcane syrup with his friends. In his downtime you could find him running his dogs at the Big Horn Hunt Club with some of his close friends and family, vacationing on a cruise, or watching NASCAR races. 

David sold his ranch in 2021 and briefly moved to Gainesville, FL before returning to Lakeland to reside at Lake Gibson Village with Ann. He is survived by five of his six children, Debbie Callahan (Jack), Dennis Carter, Lynda Carter, Sally Jones (Steven), Carlton Carter, and a bonus daughter Cindy Hislip (Russ). He was preceded in death by his oldest son, Randy Carter. David is survived by 4 of his siblings, Ricky Walker (Lisa), Ronnie Walker, Tony Walker (Dalene), and Patsy Ray. David has 17 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and 8 great great grandchildren. He will forever be remembered as a hard-working, yet loving, husband, father, papa, brother, and friend.