Stephen E. Carpenter (burial)

by Editor on January 2, 2014

Private Committal Service

obit_photo.phpSECarpenterSection 108 Lot 4 Grave 6

Stephen E. Carpenter, 64, of Maryann Court, died Thursday, December 26, 2013 at the Philip Hulitar Hospice Center in Providence. He was the loving husband of F. Eileen (Corrigan-DiIorio) Carpenter.

Born January 21, 1949 in Providence, RI, a son of the late Linn M. Carpenter, Jr., who died in 1951 while serving with the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War, and the late Roberta (Dixon) Carpenter-French, he was the son of Richard A. French of Kennebunkport, ME.

Steve graduated from Hingham High School, Hingham, MA in 1967 where he was Captain of the Cross Country Team. He attended the University of Minnesota from 1968-1969 and graduated from the New England Institute of Anatomy and Mortuary Science, Boston in 1970. After passing the Rhode Island State and National Board Exams in Funeral Service he received his license to practice funeral service as a Funeral Director/Embalmer in 1971.

Since then Steve has been associated with Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, a five generation business founded in Providence in 1914 by his great grandfather, the late Rev. Hugh B. Carpenter. After the death of his grandfather, Linn M. Carpenter, Sr. in 1976, Steve became a partner with his uncle, H. William Carpenter. Steve was elected president of the company in 1995, a position he held until the time of his death. During his tenure he was instrumental in the family business’s expansion into a second location, opened in West Warwick in 1983 and by the opening of White Dove Crematory in its West Warwick location in 2006.

For 43 years Steve was a member of the Freemasons. After being raised to the degree of master mason in Thomas Smith Webb Lodge #43 F&AM, Cranston in 1970, he served “TSW” as Worshipful Master in 1976-1977. He was an affiliated member of St. John’s Lodge #1 Providence; an honorary member of What Cheer Lodge #21, East Providence and Nathanael Greene Lodge #45, Warwick. In 1978 he was appointed District Deputy Grand Master of the Seventh Masonic District by the presiding Most Worshipful Grand Master, A. Sheffield Reynolds. After serving in all seven Masonic Districts, he was elected to serve on the Grand Council as Junior Grand Warden in 1985; Senior Grand Warden in 1986 and as Deputy Grand Master in 1987. In 1988 Steve was elected Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free & Accepted Masons for the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

During his many years of service to the Masonic Fraternity he served two terms as Chairman of the Board of Managers for Masonic Grand Lodge Charities of RI, Inc.; as Chairman of the Grand Lodge Youth Committee; the Grand Lodge Jurisprudence Committee; the committee to review the Grand Master’s Report and the Grand Master’s One Day Class Committee. In 1989 he was honored by the Grand Master of Massachusetts, M.W. Albert T. Ames, with the Henry Price Medal for distinguished service and he was named Grand Representative to the Grand Lodge of Panama by the Grand Master of Panama. In 1990 he was the recipient of a Grand Lodge of Rhode Island Distinguished Service Medal.

As a member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Providence, he served as Commander in Chief of the Consistory from 1989-1990 and was coronated a 33rd Degree Honorary Member of the Supreme Council in 1993. He served as President of the Trustees for the Valley of Providence; was crowned an Active Member of the Supreme Council in 2002 and Deputy for Rhode Island in 2004.

A member of the Rhode Island Shriners A.A.O.N.M.S., Cranston he served as Illustrious Potentate in 1997 and was active in the Clown Unit; the Directors Staff; the Artisans Unit; the Marhaba Shrine Club of South County, RI and, the “100 Club”. He was an Assistant Editor of the RI Shriners newspaper, “The Scimitar”; a member of the Jurisprudence Committee; chairman of the new building committee in 1999 and president of the Shriners of Rhode Island Charities Trust Board of Managers. Known as “Rainbow” he also belonged to the North East Shrine Clown Association. For four years he served as a representative to the International Shriners Hospital Program.

Steve’s Masonic affiliations included membership in Harmony Chapter #15 and Providence Chapter #1, Royal Arch Masons; Doric Council #7, Royal and Select Masters and, St. John’s Commandery #1, Knights Templar where he served as a trustee from 1998 – 2001. He was made a “Prophet at Sight” by the Grand Monarch of North America in Shedad Grotto, Brockton, MA in 1988 and was a member of the Red Cross of Constantine, Plantations Conclave. As a member of the Royal Order of Jesters he served as the Director for Providence Court #71 in 2002 and he belonged to the Ocean State Billiken Club and the Kachina Billiken Club. He also was a past president and Emeritus Board Member of the Masonic Veterans Association of Rhode Island.

He served as President of the Board of Directors for the Masonic Youth Foundation of Rhode Island and the Masonic/Shrine Family Center in the Buttonwoods section of Warwick. In 1987 in recognition of his years of service to Masonic Youth, DeMolay International conferred upon Steve its highest honor, the DeMolay Legion of Honor, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and in 1996 DeMolay bestowed upon him its highest award, honorary membership to the Supreme Council of the International Order of DeMolay.

Through his membership in Rotary International Steve’s community service extended beyond Freemasonry. As a member of the Providence Rotary Club he served for ten years as Chairman of the Club’s Handicapped Children’s Camp, a program coordinated in conjunction with the YMCA held for one week each summer at Camp Massasoit in Johnston. He also served as a consultant to the YMCA’s Handicapped Children’s Camping Program. In 1985 he received the Club’s Distinguished Service Award and in 1987 he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Providence Club. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Genesis School in Providence and of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Red Cross.

As a funeral director/embalmer Steve belonged to the Rhode Island Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors Association and the Cremation Association of North America. As Chairman of the Mass Fatality and Disaster Committee for the RIFDA he lead the Association’s assistance to the State of Rhode Island following the crash of Egypt Air Flight #990 off of Nantucket, MA and in the aftermath of the Station Night Club Fire. Steve was honored by the State of Rhode Island and by the Chief Medical Examiner for his distinguished service following both of these tragedies. In 2001 Steve achieved federal status with the National DMORT Team. In 2006 he completed the training needed to become a Certified Crematory Operator. He was a guest lecturer in Funeral Preplanning at the URI Extension, an embalming instructor and a member of the product’s testing committee for the Dodge Chemical Company of Cambridge, MA.

Besides his wife, he is survived by six children: Lindsay M. Ando and her husband Michael of Blackstone, MA, Sgt. Sean A. Carpenter, WPD of Woonsocket, Lisa Krieser, Esq. and her husband Jason, Esq. of Dallas TX, Michael P. DiIorio Jr. and his wife Lillian of Pascoag, Shannon M. Pedroza and her husband Xavier of Woodbury, CT and Christopher J. DiIorio and his wife Roxie of West Warwick and fourteen grandchildren: Joseph, Mikaela, Marisa, Mia, Braedon, Dylan, Reagan, Eva, Leah, Allie, Jacob, Ian, Jasper and Reina. He is the brother of Kimberly A. Noble and her husband Kent of Kennebunkport, ME and the uncle of Adrianne and Brett Noble.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, December 30, 2013 from 3:00 – 7:00 pm at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home & Crematory, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick. His funeral service will be held privately by the family at the funeral home on Tuesday. Burial will follow in Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery, North Kingstown.

In recognition of his lifelong dedication to Freemasonry and our youth, donations in Steve’s memory made to the Masonic Youth Foundation, 2115 Broad Street, Cranston, RI 02905 or to the Children’s Dyslexia Center of RI, One Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI 02905 would be appreciated.

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