Craig Romney Carpenter

Murray, Utah-Craig Romney Carpenter passed peacefully from us on May 17, 2023 from some conditions that come when you live a long time. He liked to tell us toward the end of long hikes, "If you look back there you can see where you've been." From where we stand at the close of his days, the vista is magnificent.

Craig was born on April 21, 1934 in Washington, D.C., a bit of joy in the middle of the Great Depression. He was a straight arrow from the start, persuaded early by the happiness and love of his devoted parents, Sam and Kathleen Carpenter, that the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ were worth living. The Boy Scouts taught him to work hard toward worthwhile goals and turned him into an accomplished birdwatcher. He enthusiastically served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina and Chile in the middle of the 1950s. His high regard for the Rocky Mountains helped him choose Brigham Young University over more alluring options, for which decision his future posterity cheered, since that is where he met K. Sundwall, whom he married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1959. After an MBA at Indiana, they settled in the north suburbs of Chicago, where they raised five sons and a daughter, all fated to be frequently disappointed sports fans but then again deep-dish pizza lovers. Craig diligently worked for fifty-five years (from the Eisenhower well into the Obama administration) in commercial lending, mostly at Continental Bank in Chicago and Zion's Bank in Salt Lake City, retiring at the age of 80 after informing his family for easily over a decade that he would stop "in a year or two."

Craig zestfully played the piano for most of his life, helping his household develop sound sleeping habits as he practiced late into the night. Or played his records and CDs: he loved classical-better said, late romantic-music ever since his parents ordered a set of music-appreciation 78s that included Strauss's Don Juan. He felt genuinely sorry for those who did not have such beauty to inspire them. His appreciation for the attractions of nature also endured throughout his life, transmitted to his children (along with a renewed gratitude for the comforts of civilization) primarily through several treks up Mount Timpanogos.

He particularly treasured his family, somehow keeping the faith and his composure as his adolescent children shook the house with less-than-inspiring music in the 1970s and 1980s while persisting in other questionable choices. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom he led in songs such as "The Little Mice Are Creeping," challenged to play "The Smiley Game," and gleefully teased ("I'm so sorry you don't like ice cream").

Craig remained determined to be "steadfast and immovable" in the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout his life but also became emotional at times when singing the line from "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" that read, "to paths that I do not know" as he contemplated where his faith had led him. He served many people as a bishop, a stake counselor, a sealer in the Chicago and Salt Lake temples, and, like his father before him, a patriarch. He wanted all to know of his "firm testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel and the Book of Mormon, the reality of the loving Father and His faithful Son" as well as the restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith. He was grateful for a Savior who rescued "a soul so rebellious and proud as mine." He and K. inspired new generations, through their happiness and love, to find that Gospel worth living. He was not perfect, sometimes eating ice cream with a fork or enjoying salmon from a can, for instance. But those he left behind are endlessly grateful for how he chose to live his life.

Craig was preceded into what comes next by his brother, Jon, and sister, Kathie (Coon). He leaves, for now, his wife of over sixty years, K.; their six children and spouses, Sam and Aleatha, Pete and Sheril, Dave and Jolene, Joey and Tiffany, Karen and Doug, and Matt and Joi; a lot of grandchildren (16); and a few (4) great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank those who cared for him so well at the end of his life.

Visitation will be Monday, May 22nd at 10 am with funeral services to follow at 11am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building located at 5235 S Wesley Road, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Humanitarian Aid Fund at philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org

Online condolences and funeral information can be found through the Wasatch Lawn Mortuary page at dignitymemorial.com.