Jim Carter, at left, seen during the wedding reception for friends Alice Martin and Mike Kunkle. (Seaneen Hummel-Kardley photo)
Local authorities have confirmed the search for Coupeville landscaper and noted fishing enthusiast Jim Carter has ended.
Carter, who operated JC Maintenance and was known for being a devoted salmon fisherman, was found at a work site by a neighbor last evening. He was deceased and it is believed to be from natural causes.
When he had failed to return from work Thursday. Nov. 15 or answer his phone, the community of Coupeville united in an effort to find him. Known by virtually everyone in town, Carter, 58, always had a huge smile on his face.
“We all will miss his sweet smile,” said friend Seaneen Hummel-Kardley.
Carter is survived by the three children he had with Robyn Carter during their 33-year marriage — Jack Carter, Ivy Carter and Jayme Carter.
Robyn Carter remembered her former husband as a man who deeply loved Whidbey Island, fishing and his family. After growing up on the Island, graduating from Oak Harbor High School in 1971, he joined the Navy and was separated from Whidbey for awhile, before eventually returning in 2002.
“He was thrilled to return to Whidbey and raise his children here,” Robyn Carter said. “He was as dependable as the fog on Whidbey.”
Former CHS basketball star Rob Fasolo would often run into Carter while fishing at Ebey’s Landing and remembers their meetings fondly.
“He was a great fisherman and an even nicer guy. I enjoyed talking fishing on the beaches with him,” Fasolo said. “I will miss seeing him around Coupeville.”
That was a sentiment echoed by others, as well.
“A good man, gentle soul and great fisherman,” said Gary Piazzon. “It leaves a hole.”
His absence will also be felt by those who knew him through his lawn care and landscaping business.
“Soooooo liked this man!!,” said Heidi Monroe. “He was my first landscaper for me at the old “Heidi’s Coffee House”! Very sweet and kind!
” A very hard worker and wonderful gardener!!,” she added. “So, so sad that he isn’t with us anymore. My heart hurts…”
Carter worked for Annette Kalt’s neighbors and she often had the chance to talk to him.
“I think he enjoyed working the waterfront because it offered him many different fishing locations,” Kalt said. “My neighbors are summer/weekenders and they allowed him as much beach time as he wanted.
“I frequently saw him on the beach during the season and he was always up for a chat about what he was fishing for, what he was using for bait, and described accurately (odd for a fisherman) his catch,” she added. “He was shy, but quick to smile. He was gentle in manner, but a strong worker.”
However they knew him, through family connections, through fishing, through his work or just by saying hello to him and returning his smile, the people of Coupeville — and far beyond — will remember Carter.
“He was a gentle spirit,” said Jacque LaRue. “Very kind and was a dear friend.”
Coupeville Sports 
Too bad that you left out his children- he has three, and ex wife of 33 years, who knew him better that than anyone else. The sad picture and quotes you got from people who barely knew him Sad how everyone wants in the story when someone dies.
I’m sorry for the pain of the loss of your former husband and the father of the kids. I think of Jack and Ivy when I’m at the college, which is last place I saw them. I have a picture of Jack and Orion making a fort on the beach at Dakotas house. (our kids went to Cedar together). Your kids were the ones I thought of when I saw Jim was missing and when I went down the street looking for him at the places he worked.
I’m sure that the people who are quoted (I’m one of them) are not looking to have some fame, but are just honoring the kind man who passed.
I wish you and the children some peace and comfort.
Annette, I of course remember you and Orion…I guess you were never present at Cedar when Jim picked up Jak and ivy. He put on a very public face, but there were several times at Cedar when he screamed at the kids and other students, parents and staff mentioned it to me. He was very verbally, and sometimes physically abusive to all of us.
Jim was a member of our Oak Harbor High School Class of 1971 and we will all miss his smiling face and kind heart. Rest in peace, brother.
TY Trish! He will be Missec!
Most of you did not talk to him for 20 plus years! Please….
Robyn, I can’t believe that I can’t even say something nice about a classmate and high school band chum after he dies without my post bring criticized. Several of us had nice visits with him at our class picnic in July. I haven’t been in close touch with all of my old classmates but I hope if I die that they will be allowed to say nice things in my memory!
Get some help Robyn. I am so Sorry Jim is gone. You are so bitter. You are the one who left to go & “live” with your “Dad” & bail on everyone here! Jim was heartbroken … How’d you know??? You were in Kansas. Bottom line is Jim loved his kids and wanted them here. He did the best he could to provide for them,….we here know because we were all here to watch him work every day. Yes you knew him better then us but we were here to embrace his smile every day. Jayme, Ivy & Jack I know your Dad loved you all to the ends of the Earth! Robyn Please do not be so bitter to a town that loved Jimmy’s smile!
BTW… NOT a sad picture… We all were at a friends Wedding recption … It was a FUN & Beautiful night!!!! &
He was Happy with Cathy… She’s a great LADY!!!
RIGHT ON SEANEEN! Robyn is totally out of line here!!!
Alice…really?! You were all so close, and knew his inner thoughts, all that time at the video store…how heartwarming…
The comments from most of you are so phoney…I am not at all bitter, I just knew him better than any of you ever could…funny how when I was doing what you all expected me to, no one ever said i was bitter. None of you ever heard him screaming at his family. This Cathy woman came between him and his children. He told me many times that he couldn’t get rid of her…she wanted to be his mother…he “cared” about her…his children said it was very clear she was looking for a shack up…they were disgusted that she spent the night at his house while they were there…seeing her in her underwear was not appropriate behaviour from someone who cares about being responsible. Seaneen, you sound bitter my friend…none of you know anything about my relationship with Jim, and certainly not my father!!! That picture is sad because it does not show anything about his life…sitting at Alice and Mike’s wedding with some woman he barely knew is pretty sad…a pretty empty life at the end….
I just wanted to clarify one more thing for you, Seaneen…I did not bail on anyone there…the person who bought my business from me refused to honor the contract, effectively keeping me from the agreed time at the shop, and I still made 7 trips to Coupeville over the summer of 2011. I did not bail out…Jim decided to try and get custody of our children, he lost. I still talked to him almost everyday. I have not been in Kansas for quite sometime now…
This is about Jimmy and the lives he touched. He was a very kind, sweet man. He will be missed greatly by all. And YES, Cathy is a wonderful person. My prayers and love go out to his 3 children who wont have their father in their lives. The article is very touching and the photo shows a happy man. RIP Jimmy.
Who are you???Obviously, you knew Jim extremely well…all about his three children, right??? Dana who??? I spoke with Jim everyday…talked to him hours before he died…none of you know anything about my relationship with him…
I feel very sorry for you Robyn. The man had every right to move on after your marriage ended. To bad you can’t move on. Let Jimmy rest in peace. God Bless You and take care.
Personally, I don’t care what any of you think about my dad, especially seeing as–besides my mom–none of you knew him.
Sure, you may have gone to high school with him, or paid him to take care of your property, or you’re friends with Cathy, or some other connection. But arguing about this on a blog? Really? And not just arguing in general, but arguing with his ex wife, of all people. She’s not being bitter, but so what if she was? My father just died. My mother has every right to feel any and all emotions right now, and none of you have the right to judge or look down on her, calling her “bitter.” It’s really pathetic to pick on family my father left behind, whether or not they were married, and they WERE on good terms.
It’s a disgrace to my dad’s memory to pick on his family, and to lie about your relationship with him.
He had good qualities as well as bad ones, just like everyone else did. If you didn’t see any of those bad qualities, such as yelling, talking down to other people, etc–which clearly, none of you besides my mom did–, then you didn’t know him well at all.
I know my dad’s flaws and I love him regardless, I’m not painting this picture of him being some “perfect” person, because there is no such thing.
You’re acting like petulant children, and you need to grow up.
RIP Jimmy, I am so grateful that you and your girlfriend Cathy were able to find each other. Regretfully you did not have enough time together
whoops… the post above wasn’t from Dana, she is a friend of mine.. my name is Anne and I didn’t get to finish my post…. so, again, regretfully their time together was cut short. Although, I know they will be reuinted and that Jimmy is watching over and taking care of her. My deepest sympathies go out to his children. Although I did not know Jimmy well, I was able to spend some time with him in the last year. He came across as a kind and gentle man and hopefully his children will carry on his legacy. Prayers and Godly Love to the family…
Anne…Do you get it that continuing to talk about what you think he had with whatever her name is only hurts his children??? I was with Jim last summer, and over the early spring…he was not in any way committed to that woman…his children disliked her…our relationship continued, in spite of her ..
Dana,
their marriage wasn’t and still isn’t any of your business.
You should really consider growing up, and minding your *own* business, instead of being immature and petty on the internet.
So, you’ve been in a relationship for 34 years, right? You’d know about moving on, after three children, and an entire lifetime of experiences. He was not moving on with Ms. Semenquest…or is it Ms. Cortez right now? Or Ms. Fisher? Or Ms. Lee? My relationship was alive and well with Jim over the summer of 2011, and the early part of 2012. He was not looking for a live in mooch….but she did destroy his relationship with his children.
Someone needs to shut this blog down!!!! It has become apparent to this innocent bystander that no one is going to be allowed to say anything nice about this deceased man without their comments being torn apart. I have never seen anything like it!! Enough already!! He was nice to me… He had a kind heart… He had a nice smile… And yes, these may be memories from over 40 years ago, in high school, but they are still valid and I should be able to say them without being criticized for not being in contact with him over the years. And new friends from Coupeville should be able to say he was a nice guy!! I can’t believe that now I know he was mentally and physically abusive to his wife and kids, that he had a girlfriend who ran around in her underwear around his kids, has so called friends who are nothing but liars…. Geeeez!!!! I sure hope if I die and people, whoever they are, no matter how long I have known them, want to say I was wonderful, I hope someone doesn’t tell them they are all liars!!!
I have allowed all of these comments to go through, and have deleted none, because this is a rough time for all involved and you all deserve to have your say.
But, it would be nice to keep in mind why these articles were done in the first place — there were a lot of people genuinely concerned, on all sides, when Mr. Carter went missing. And there is a lot of genuine sadness, on all sides, with his passing.
Nicely put, David.
Yes, a lot of us will miss him and YES we do miss him and he will ALWAYS be missed! AND a lot of us here were worried AND looking for him… PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL!!! Nasty comments will get YOU NO PLACE IN A SMALL TOWN!!!!
TY David.. for the help!
Thank you David…Robyn V. Carter
David, I really hope you take this whole thing down.
This is not the Water Festival, the Holland Happening, nor any other island event.
This is a private *family* matter, and those in said family are the only ones who have the right to speak out about it. It’s not your business, it’s not a blog’s business, and it’s certainly not the business of the general public.
It’s all fine and well that people outside of our family wish to remember and honor my father, as well as say kind things about him, but I would very much appreciate people watching what they say, and where they say it. Not to mention when, considering we only just found out of his passing a few days ago. Especially if part of their commentary is going to involve name-calling my family, which is completely uncalled for.
This is a hard time for all of his family members, and I wish you’d respect our privacy and right to speak about this on our own time, in our own ways.
I agree that the name-calling and bickering in the comments section should stop, but I am inclined to leave the story up for the same reason it was posted in the first place — a way for people, on all sides, to remember your father.
Fair enough.
PATHETIC…. that all!!!!!! I thought this was a place to remember Jim! WOW!!! A few people have way too much time on their hands!!