Bill Gene Carpenter

Bill G Carpenter, affectionately known as Poppy, of Dallas, Texas, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 14, 2021. Bill was born on April 15th, 1933, in Edwards, Missouri, to Maggie Gertrude and Manford James Carpenter. The family moved to Sedalia, Missouri, when Bill was a young boy. He attended Smith Cotton High School and graduated in 1952. He then attended Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon and known by his fraternity brothers as “Boog”. He graduated with a BS in Business Administration in 1956. After graduation, he moved to Kansas City and began working at The Jones Store where he met his wife Marge.

Bill and Marge were married on November 7, 1959, in Kansas City, Missouri. Bill worked for Lighters, a women’s specialty clothing store, which ultimately moved him to Wichita Falls, Texas. After briefly living in Wichita Falls, they moved to Prairie Village, Kansas, and began their family. Their first son, Craig, was born in 1961, followed by Kent in 1964 and their daughter Brooke in 1967. In 1973 they bought a farm in Louisburg, Kansas, and built their first home. The following year they opened their first women’s clothing store – The Alley Shop. Eventually they would expand to six stores and two franchises. They loved traveling – Mexico was one of their favorite destinations. They frequented Lake of the Ozarks, where they owned several homes and enjoyed their time there with friends and family. Seeking warmer weather and to be closer to their two sons, they moved to Dallas in 1999.

Bill enjoyed gardening, shopping and eating out – where cheeseburgers were his food of choice. He loved spending time in his yard and making frequent trips to nurseries and flower shops. Their home in Dallas was featured on the Water Wise Landscape Tour for its water conservation landscaping efforts. One of his favorite places to be was the Dallas Arboretum, where he volunteered as a Docent and completed over 500 hours over the years.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife Marge, brother John and sister Emogene. He is survived by his sons, Craig and wife Lisa, Kent and wife Keli, daughter Brooke and husband Joe. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren, Caley, Claire, Maggie, Emma and Will. He also leaves behind a dear niece, Judy Ayres and husband Jerry and many special friends, including his neighbors Kiki, Judy and Frank, with whom he spent many happy hours.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to Annie, his caregiver. Because of Annie, Bill was able to remain in his home surrounded by his gardens and flowers. In their many hours spent together, Annie and Bill formed an unbreakable bond and special friendship.

We will forever miss our Poppy.

A celebration of life will be held on September 1st, 2021, from 5 to 8pm, at 218 Easton Rd., Dallas, TX, 75218.