Kent Lamond Carter, born on May 1 ^st , 1962, was surrounded by his family and close friends as he passed unexpectedly through the veil into loving hands on the other side on December 4 ^th , 2020 at the age of 58. On his 3,098 ^th check in at Vasa Fitness in Spanish Fork, he finished his final rep on the bench press as well as his mission here on Earth doing what he loved most.

He grew up in Los Angeles. His family moved to Spokane, Washington at age 13. It was during his high school years in Spokane that he made lifelong friends and has maintained those friendships throughout the years. As they met each year for the annual Hoopfest, these cherished friends became more like brothers.

At age 19, Kent served an honorable mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Following his mission, he attended Brigham Young University and received his bachelors degree in Business Information Systems. BYU holds a special place in his heart because it was there that he met his future wife. On August 19, 1988 he married Carolyn Melissa Wright. They were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple in 1989. Throughout the following years, they were blessed to welcome four daughters and one son into their family.

Due to his large stature and BYU attire, he was often mistaken for a coach or police officer. When asked his occupation his response was, “I’m just a computer geek.” He was taken on as an intern at Novell his senior year of college, then offered full-time employment on the day of his graduation. He served as an honorable and valiant employee there for the 25 years following. The opportunity was presented to work for Adobe for the past 2 years and he has traveled internationally throughout his career serving many in various nations.

His family’s first home was in Spanish Fork. He took great joy in the wonderful friendships he made there that lasted a lifetime.

Kent always dreamed of living in the mountains amongst the deer and wildlife that he loved so much, and was able to make that a reality as they built a home and moved to Elk Ridge in the year 2000. It was there that they raised their family and discovered that there was more to the area than just the natural beauty of the landscape. Kent would often express his love for the ward members and neighbors. The friendships he made there changed his life.

His life was one of service and Christlike love for every person with whom he came in contact. He had a natural ability to connect with the youth and served wholeheartedly in his Young Men’s calling for many years. Many of the young men he served have voiced gratitude for the strong impact he made on them which motivated them to live up to their full potential. Serving with the young men was his passion. He cherished every camp out, every activity, and every one-on-one interaction. He found great joy in celebrating other’s accomplishments and you would often find him close by or in the crowd, eager to cheer you on. He served in various callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He loved the Lord and took opportunity to serve wherever needed, whether he was Elder’s quorum president or self-appointed ward “mover.” His service did not end on Sunday. He enjoyed his weekly temple attendance with his wife and seized any opportunity to reach out and offer kindness.

His love for the youth ended up merging with his love for sports. He coached youth volleyball for over 14 years and loved every minute of it. The opportunity he had to coach with his great friend Chris Crippen formed a bond that was tighter than volleyball spandex. “Crip-Dawg” and “Kendo” were the dream team mentors who’s coaching went beyond the game. He was always a supporter, one who cheered from the sidelines as a coach, along with cheering from the crowd as a friend. He was known for expressing how proud he was of others’ accomplishments. Whether you knew him well or not, his encouragement was freely given.

His excitement for life was infectious. He was eager to spend time with friends and family, whether it was gathering everyone for a BYU football game or making sure he made it to the annual family reunion at Carpinteria Beach. He lived big and dreamed big. One of his biggest dreams was to build a cabin in Scofield where he could share his love for the outdoors with anyone who wanted that experience.

You would often find Kent in the kitchen or on the grill whipping up various delicious meals. It was the first thing he would offer a visitor. Anytime his grandchildren came over, it always brought a smile to his face. They were addressed by the names of  “Shrimpie,” “Shrimper,” or “Munchkin.”

Kent had a lifetime love of bodybuilding and working out. He had the opportunity to compete in various bodybuilding competitions throughout the years. Many in which he would take first or second place. In response to praise, he would shrug his shoulders and say, “not bad for an old guy.” Despite his many attempts to retire, he continued to do just “one more competition.” His most recent accomplishments were taking 1 ^st place in his category at the local Springville Naturals contest and taking 2 ^nd in Vegas at the USA Naturals.

Despite his tough exterior, he had a soft, kind heart. He passed from this life doing what he loved surrounded by heroes who loved him. Kent has always been a provider and protector to his family and they take comfort in knowing he will continue to fulfill and honor that role from the other side.

His family loves him very much and looks forward to a joyous reunion.

Kent is survived by his wife Carolyn and his five children-Jill (Craig Butler), Cami, Nicole (Skyler Rammell), Justin, Ashley; his 3 grand- “shrimpers” (Miles, Isla, Haven); his father Wilson Clive Carter; siblings-Todd, Mark, Burt, Shelly, and Lisa. He is preceded in death by his mother Kathleen Miriam Doak Carter, his father-in-law Willis Richard Wright, and nephew Seth Carter.

A public viewing will be held at the Walker Funeral Home in Payson, Utah, on Friday, December 11, 2020 from 6-8 p.m. A private family service will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the Elk Ridge 4th Ward, 259 East Alpine Drive, Elk Ridge, Utah.

Friends and well-wishers are invited to join through a livestream service, the link will be available at the bottom of this obituary at this website (www.walkermemorials.com).

A private interment will be at the Salem City Cemetery following the service.

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