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Carter D. Powell Mercer Island, WA QCWA # 04587 |
Carter Powell July 13, 1921 . November 10, 2015
Carter Powell died peacefully at his Mercer Island home on November 10, 2015 at the age of 94. He is survived by wife, Verna. They've been married 65 years.
Carter was born to Robert and Nancy-Lee Rogers Powell on July 13, 1921 in Oakland, Oregon. He graduated from high school in 1939. He attended a commercial radio school where he earned his ham radio license, W7IAG, and commercial radio licenses. In 1941, when the U.S. Navy was recruiting amateur and commercial radio operators, Carter joined and immediately attended Radio School at Bainbridge Island, Washington, qualifying as a Radioman Third Class Petty Officer. After December 7, 1941, Carter was assigned to Kodiak Island, Alaska, and progressed to Chief Radioman. Staying on Kodiak the rest of his career, he mustered out of the Navy in 1945.
Carter then enrolled at Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon for a degree in Electrical Engineering. He also received an education degree at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Oregon, and taught 8th and 9th grade English, math and social studies in Pendleton, Oregon. He married Verna in 1950 when he arrived in Pendleton. Their relationship had started as Pen Pals during his lonely days on Kodiak Island.
In 1951, Boeing hired Carter as a Junior Engineer to design and draft the electrical cable assemblies for the B-52. After 7½ years, he was moved to the Minuteman Missile program as a test instrumentation design engineer where he spent 20 years including a stint on the Lunar Orbiter Satellite proposal team. Carter retired from Boeing in 1980 with 29 years of service. During that time he also passed his Washington State engineering exam qualifying as a Professional Engineer.
A key event in Carter's retirement life was a January 1993 windstorm that caused a week-long loss of power on Mercer Island that badly affected the city, police and fire communications capability. After that event, the city Public Safety Director mobilized the island's ham radio operators including Carter to provide backup communications for the critical first responders. Mercer Island Radio Operators (MIRO) traces its heritage to that power-outage. Carter made MIRO and Emergency Nets his responsibility from the very beginning. In fact, the morning of his death, he made his regular weekly check-in with the Washington State Emergency Management Network. MIRO would not be what it is today without Carter's extensive influence, hard work and dedication.
Carter's remains have been cremated and will be interred at the Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington with graveside rites at a date to be determined in 2016. At his request there will not be any other services. Condolences may be sent to Verna Powell at the Powell home address.
Please, no donations, flowers or gifts! Verna would like to thank the Mercer Island Fire and Police departments for their assistance.
May you rest in peace, Carter Powell W7IAG.