Merrill Thomas "Tom" Carter

Merrill Thomas Carter, 83, loving husband, grandfather, and friend, passed away Monday, December 11, 2023. Graveside Service: 10:00AM, Saturday, December 16, 2023, Azleland Memorial Park Cemetery Visitation: 6PM – 8PM, Friday, December 15, 2023, White’s Funeral Home in Azle, TX. Tom was born on March 10, 1940, in Perryton, Texas to LeRoy Ford Carter and Lorene Louise Carter. His first job was shining shoes at the local barber shop in Perryton. When Tom was 14 years of age he went on the wheat harvest in Kansas and hitchhiked back to Perryton. He was a standout football player for the Perryton Rangers and was known as the hardest hitting player on the defense. Tom was All District as well as the Co-Captain for the Perryton Ranger Football Team. Tom graduated from Perryton High School in 1958. While in high school Tom met Mary Charlene Goodwin and later became husband and wife and moved to Amarillo, TX. While living in Amarillo Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas. While Tom and Mary were completing their advanced education, they had Kimberly Denise and Stephen Lee. Shortly after moving to Fort Worth, they had Samuel Thomas. Tom and Mary sold their home in Fort Worth and moved to Springtown, bought some land to raise their three children and call Springtown their home. He was an award-winning General Contractor in the DFW area. His work has been featured in Ft Worth Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. Tom loved sports and helped coach his youngest son Sam’s football team. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, water/snow skiing. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Charlene; his parents, LeRoy and Lorene Carter; brother, Sammy Lee Carter. Survivors include daughter, Kim Spoon and husband, Jim; sons, Sam Carter and wife, Kym; Lee Carter; seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; sisters, Chryle Murry and Jan Rogers.