Former state Rep. Bill Carter dies, age 91

William Lacy “Bill” Carter Jr., owner of a Chattanooga beer distributor who served as a state representative in the 1970s, has died at the age of 91.

Republican Carter served two terms in the state House, then ran for the state Senate in 1976, losing to Democrat Bill Ortwein. He was founder of Carter Distributing Co. and in 2011, while still active in the business, was honored by MillerCoors with a “Legacy Award.”

Excerpt from a Times-Free Press article:

Bobby Wood, also a former state representative, said he first ran when Carter was running for the state Senate in 1976.

“He’s always been an inspiration to me because of his dedication and devotion to public service,” he said.

Wood said he recently spoke with Carter about their time in politics and told him he missed “being a part of it and having an opportunity to make a difference and do something for the state.”

He said Carter responded by saying, “Bobby, there’s not a day goes by that I don’t miss it.”

“I thought that was a pretty strong commitment to make and dedication to the job and to service. That’s the thing I’ll always remember from him,” Wood said.

Note: The full obituary is HERE.