Jack Carpenter
John “Jack” Brandt Carpenter, 79, passed away at his home on Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Anchorage, Alaska. He was born on December 15, 1937, to Dorrit and William “Bill” Carpenter in Seattle, Washington.
Jack arrived in Alaska in 1962 while serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, where he met the love of his life, “Tiny” Carpenter. In 1963, they were married and Jack took a job as a teller in the Nome branch of Miners and Merchants Bank. Jack began his banking career with two years of postsecondary education from Evergreen Junior College in Washington State. In 1966, the bank appointed Jack as the manager of the Kotzebue branch, and three years later transferred him to Barrow, where he spent 14 months as the bank manager.
In 1970, when Miners and Merchants bank merged with Alaska National Bank, Jack was promoted to Assistant Vice President and was transferred to Fairbanks where he also served as the president of the American Bankers Association.
In 1973, Jack and his family moved to Anchorage to manage the Calais office and moved to Kotzebue and Nome to assist the bank with their managing needs. Jack left banking in 1978 to become Executive Director of Sitnasuak Native Corporation, a position he held for 12 years.
In 1990, Jack was hired as Bering Strait Native Corporations Chief Operating Officer, was promoted to Executive Vice President in 1991, and again promoted to President and CEO in 1992, a role in which he served until his retirement in 2000.
Jack was a very active participant of various boards. Jack served on the Nome Common Council for six years, Nome Joint Utility for more than nine years, Norton Sound Health Corporation for over 14 years, and Norton Sound Economic Development board for several years.
Jack chaired on the Selective Service Board for the region and for about nine years on the local Workforce Investment Board (a state board). He also enjoyed his membership in Lions Club and Pioneer Igloo.
Survivors include his three daughters: Gigi Immingan of Nome; Marlene Carpenter of Anchorage and Tiffany Martinson of Nome; his 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Lorena “Tiny” Carpenter, and daughter Christine Carpenter-Perkins.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at the Nome Recreation Center with a reception to follow at the VFW. Memorial donations can be made to the VFW in Nome, Alaska.