Janet Carpenter

Janet Elizabeth Carpenter - 91

 

Janet Carpenter, beloved mother and wife, passed into the arms of her Lord on October 6, 2022, with her daughter, Wendy Carpenter, at her side. She was well cared for at the Hospice House in Coeur d’Alene at the time of her passing, and the family is grateful for their care.

 

Janet was born on August 3, 1931, in Spokane, Washington, to Gwendolyn and Wurth Coble.

 

Janet graduated from Lewis and Clark High school in Spokane in 1949.  After high school, Janet worked for the Old National Bank as a cashier, before attending Whitman College where she worked in the office to help pay for tuition and pledged the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

 

Shortly after, she became reacquainted with one of her brother’s childhood friends, David Carpenter, who was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base.  They fell in love and were married on August 15, 1953.  In August of 2014, they celebrated 61 years of marriage.  They welcomed son, Greg, in 1955; their daughter, Wendy, in 1957; and their second daughter, Jody, in 1967.  Janet was a loving mother and devoted wife, who is already greatly missed.

 

In 1964, Janet became a member of the Junior League of Spokane, beginning a lifelong commitment to community service.  She also ran the soup kitchen at the First Presbyterian Church in Coeur d’Alene for years.

 

In 1966, the family moved from Spokane to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, when Dave joined a local engineering firm.  Later, when Dave opened his own firm, Janet worked in the office, helping with billing and taking calls. Later, Janet worked for the United Way in downtown Coeur d’Alene. She became active in politics with the Kootenia County Republicans, serving as a delegate and working on numerous campaigns over the years.  She taught her children that they needed to get involved in their government, by voting, contacting their representatives about issues that mattered to them,  writing letters to the editor, and working on campaigns - “if you don’t vote, you can’t complain” she would say. 

 

When Dave took over the local Rotary Student Exchange program, Janet quickly became involved, hosting more than five foreign exchange students over the years, earning her a rare (for a non-member) and prestigious Paul Harris Fellow award.

 

Janet was proceeded in death by her husband, David Carpenter; her brother, Wurth Coble; and her grandsons, Logan, Teagan, and Finnegan.

 

Janet is survived by her son Greg of Los Angeles (Richard); daughter, Wendy (Tim) of Coeur d’Alene; daughter, Jody (Craig) of Olympia; and granddaughter, Lachlan, of Olympia.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial in her name to Hospice of North Idaho. The family is grateful for the wonderful care and support provided by Hospice of North Idaho.