Edward Cole Carter

Mass of Christian Burial for Edward Cole Carter, 73, Lawrence will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, March 4, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. He passed away Friday, Feb. 27, 2016, at Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community.

He was born March 21, 1942, in Nevada, Mo., the son of Robert and Mary (Cole) Carter.

Ed is survived by his wife, Becky Hughlene (Burgin), of the home and his children, Kelli Kyle Carter, Kayla Riley Lohness, Hugh Edward Carter, and Rebecca L. Chavez. He was preceded in death by his son, Tye C. Carter; and a grandson, Rees Burgin Carter. He is survived by 22 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren with three great-grandchildren on the way.

Ed grew up in Nevada, Mo., and was a graduate of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan., where he met his wife, Becky, and played guard on the 1961 NAIA National Championship Football Team. In 1963 he went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone where he started as a staff assistant and progressed through the ranks to retire at the age of 49 from the position of Division Manager of Regulatory Relations in 1992.

Ed greatly enjoyed his family, golfing, traveling to Las Vegas, coaching, mentoring, and serving his community. He has left a profound effect on those who knew him and many more who will be touched by the legacy he left in his service to community.

Ed enjoyed coaching Douglas County Youth Baseball for both the Shockers and the Merchants as well as coaching the Broken Arrow Braves football team and serving as Vice-President of the Lawrence Youth Football organization. He later started that organization's Gorilla Football Team.

Ed was a Co-founder and two-time President of the Lawrence Junior Achievement, a Co-founder and Director of Leadership Lawrence as well as having served on its Board of Trustees. He served as a board member of the Lawrence School District Foundation Board, the Governors Kanwork Committee, and the Kansas Calvary.

He served as Director for Standard Mutual Life Insurance Company and the Kansas Industry Council.

Ed served as Executive Board Member of the Kansas Council on Economics Education, as an Officer and Executive Board Member of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, as Vice President and Executive Board Member of the Kansas State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as President and Executive Board Member of the Lawrence Rotary Club, as a Board Member for Peoples Bank, and as Chairman of the Douglas County United Way Fund.

He was a Co-founder and Director of First American Capital Corporation, Director of Go Figure Technology Corporation, and Director of First Life America Corporation.

He served on many committees at the St. Lawrence Catholic Center but none more important than the original committee to found the Church on the KU Campus.

The family will greet friends from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 3, at Warren-McElwain Mortuary, in Lawrence.

Because he believed in investing in our youth we request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary.

Online condolences may be sent to www.warrenmcelwain.com.