James Edwin Carpenter, beloved husband, father and Grampi was born in Woodsville, New Hampshire on March 21, 1932 to Tracy and Marguerite Carpenter. His childhood in rural Vermont during the Great Depression contributed to some of his greatest strengths: he was incredibly resourceful, could build and fix anything, and was devoted to his family.

With an undergraduate civil engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati, James served in the US Air Force as an Air Installation Officer at Eglin AFB in Florida, then spent two years with the consulting engineering firm Fay, Spofford, and Thorndike in Boston. He returned to studies at Purdue University, where he received the MSCE and a PhD in structural engineering.

He married the love of his life Carolyn on September 12, 1964. They had three children, Andrew, Amy (George) and Anne (Doug).

A job offer in 1975 to direct research for a division of Concrete Technology Corporation in Tacoma moved the family from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle. The move involved Jim and Carolyn driving a 1972 Winnebago from Chicago to Seattle in late November of 1975 with three young children. This adventure was the source of many stories over the years.

He was active in the Structural Engineering Association of Washington: SEAW President 1992, SEAW Seattle President 1990, Engineer of the Year 1989, Honorary Member 2006, Lifetime Service Award 2002.

In addition to his SEAW activities, he chaired national committees of the American Concrete Institute and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

He was an active member of Lake Burien Presbyterian Church in Burien for many years. He was especially proud of his volunteer work with Boy Scout troop 360 at LBPC.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents Tracy and Marguerite Carpenter and his older brother Charles.

He is survived by his wife Carolyn; his three children; his grandchildren Rachel and Charlie; and his younger brother Norman (Dolores) and their family.

If you were to ask Jim what he was most proud of in his life, he would most likely deflect the question with a pun, which he considered to be the best and really the only form of humor. Or he might instead share some of his legendary light-hearted advice, always delivered with a smile and a good story or two. Jim was a humble and brilliant man who left a legacy of strong foundations both in his professional accomplishments and his dedication to his family.

He was deeply loved and his presence is greatly missed.