Robert Carpenter was born on March 8, 1929 in Evanston, Illinois to John Condict Carpenter and Laura Elliott Carpenter. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1952 and received his J.D. degree. He was admitted to practice in 1952 and was a member of the firm of Roddey, Carpenter & White for 31 years. The firm dissolved in 1991 and he later retired from the firm of Kennedy, Covington, Lobdell & Hickman.
He was admitted into practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Court of Military Review, the U.S. Court of Military Appeals and the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He was a certified mediator and arbitrator for the S.C. Circuit Court and a certified arbitrator for the U.S. District Court for South Carolina. In addition to the S.C. Bar Association, he was a member of the York County Bar Association; the S.C. Defense Trial Attorney’s Association, where he was a former president; the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys; the American Bar Association, and the S.C. Law School Association, where he formerly served as chairman and vice chairman.
Bob Carpenter also was an advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, where he was former president of the S.C. Chapter, and was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, South Carolina state commission.
A member of the Rock Hill/York County Airport Commission, he was past president of the Rock Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Rock Hill Jaycees. He served as the chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the City of Rock Hill and the Catawba Health Planning Advisory Committee. He served on numerous other boards in York County.
He was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church, where he was a Sunday school teacher, a past chairman of the administrative board and a past lay leader.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Busbee Carpenter; his son, Reid Carpenter of Rock Hill; three daughters, Lyn Carpenter Garris of Spartanburg, Laurie Carpenter Garris of Spartanburg, Laurie Carpenter of Rock Hill and Liza Carpenter Fennelly of Athens, Ga; and seven grandchildren.