Maxie Harold 'Max' Carter, 87, of Arcadia, Florida was born May 26, 1934 in Sycamore GA.  He learned to work hard and play hard in Depression Era rural Georgia. He split his childhood between getting into mischief with his brothers and working to support his family. When he was just 17, he traded the red Georgia clay for the blue waters of the US Navy.  During one of his early assignments, he met his future wife, Alice Bowe, a naval teletype operator from Charleston WV.  In those days, women who married were honorably discharged from the service, so she left the Navy to care for the first of eventually four children.

Max continued to serve and rose in rank from Seaman Recruit to Master Chief Petty Officer to Lieutenant. When he retired from the Navy, he said he wanted his kids to have a hometown, so they loaded up their four kids, two cats, and a dog in a motor home and headed east from California to find one. The trip was memorable and not just for the experience of having the air conditioner blow out in Needles CA, the hottest city in the US. Once they found and settled in Arcadia FL, he worked as a radio operator for the Florida Highway Patrol before retiring again and opened a real estate business.  He was a firm believer in hard work and taking care of his family and always set a good example in that department. When grandchildren came along, he was always delighted to see them and play with them.

He entered rest on November 15, 2021 and is survived by Alice and his three sons, Michael Carter (Lavenia Horton Carter), Marcus Carter (Liesl Raderer Carter), Monte Carter (Valerie Skinner Carter), granddaughters Kristen Riley, Megan Riley, and Esme Carter and grandson Maxwell Carter and great grandson Riley Owen.  He was predeceased by his daughter Michelle, it was the toughest thing he ever endured.  Alzheimer's and dementia dimmed his later years but even when memories were difficult, his eyes would still light up with joy when he saw his grandkids.  He lived life well and will be missed.

The family will celebrate his life privately and inurnment will be at Joshua Creek Cemetery.