Blair Ellis Carter

Blair Ellis Carter was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Blair was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to David & Sylvia Carter. He had two younger brothers, Grant & Neal Carter, who looked up to and admired his independent nature. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

As a young child, Blair was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Blair developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. In his spare time he loved listening to rock music, starting with becoming a Beatles fan in his early days. However, what Blair enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Blair as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from George Washington High School in 1978. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. It was during this time that his love of music grew into his study and passion for playing the drums. Blair was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Blair always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Blair attended Kirkwood Community College where he studied Automotive Mechanics in hopes to work in his family’s local auto parts shop. College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Blair handled them well. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Blair well during his college experience, but also aided in his realization of pursuing other career paths of which he was more interested. He soon found himself working in management in the retail sales industry which was responsible for his relocation to Dallas, Texas in 1986.

Blair was a devoted parent, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Blair was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Blair was blessed with two children: a son, Curtis Winsor and a daughter, Amber Carter. He was later also blessed with three grandsons and one granddaughter: Theodore Winsor, Ayden Moore, Alena Harris, & Jeremy Harris Jr.

Blair greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations although he preferred handling solo assignments. Blair enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Blair was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was a precise worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation throughout the majority of his career was route/retail sales and development. Blair worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done. He was adored by all of his fellow staff members and clients.

Blair liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Blair always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were music, travel, art, train watching/studying, and architecture. Blair was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others. Everyone who knew him on a personal level would say that he made them feel like “V.I.P.” backstage at his very own rock concert.

Blair found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Top on his list was NFL Football (Go Cowboys!).

Being practical and mentally disciplined, Blair preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Blair was never afraid to roll up his sleeves, pull up his boot straps, and “tell it like it is.” Politically, Blair was a strong supporter of the Republican Party.

Blair enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Blair appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Blair always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included trips to the Eastern Caribbean Islands.

Blair Ellis Carter suddenly passed on the morning of November 18, 2020 in his Celina, Texas home. An unexpected, heartbreaking death in which his family and friends are sure he did not go down without a fight. He is survived by his two children and four grandchildren. Based on the nature of his death, funeral services are to still be determined.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Blair Ellis Carter. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bratcherfuneralhome.com for the Carter family.