I was so sorry to hear about Chad's passing. The Carter family sends our deepest condolences to Laura, Carie and the entire family. Chad was such a caring and generous person who would light up every room he entered. He was not only smart and wise, sought out for his perspective but also hilarious. I first met Chad at Home Depot, where he was the HR manager in Charlotte, North Carolina. What started as a business partner partnership grew into a lifelong friendship.

We talked football, life, religion, business and what it meant to us to be a husband and father. There are countless reasons I am proud to call Chad my friend, but none greater than his integrity. He was a trustworthy friend who never just told you what you wanted to hear. He told you what would make you better. 

I will miss our serious conversations, all the laughs we shared and even asking him what a Hokie was, despite him explaining it to me many times. 

God Bless you buddy! I love you, I’ll miss you but I will see you again.

Love,

Sean

Tater will be dearly missed. He was the true definition of a kind Southern Gentleman. He loved to ask questions of me and of my Jewish heritage. As a kid, he would come over my house in Tampa and spend some of the holidays with us learning about different cultures. Recently at our 35th HS reunion, he must have shared that story with anyone who would listen. I will forever miss my close childhood pal, who lived just down the block from me. Rest in peace buddy...

E 

Anyone who knew him is heart broken by this news and equally grateful for the times  we shared together .  Most of my memories are from junior high and high school but they are so vivid in my mind .   His friendliness was unparalleled but so was his intelligence .   He taught me what a noun marker was in 9th grade English class and tried to help me understand Physics .    I remember our group study sessions for Calculus finals and his knack for trying to simplify complicated problems and just  be helpful to anyone who  needed it.    He was a great listener and debater …even back then.  

Chad will always be one of my favorite people… a southern gentleman with an old soul, kind , funny,  smart , always willing to lend a hand or an ear , had his own style and an adopted big brother to so many of us . 

My deepest condolences to your family .   💔

Chad and I first met in junior high, but our friendship didn’t just stop there—it grew, carried through high school, college, and beyond. We shared countless memories that still bring a smile to my face. I remember those afternoons lifting weights in his garage, pushing each other to be stronger. We used to get into arguments during our late night shifts at the movie theater over who was going to clean the greasy pop corn machine. And those quiet moments fishing by the little stream next to his house, where his granddaddy would sit with us, giving wise advice on how to outsmart the bluegills who kept stealing our bait.

I’ll never forget giving Chad rides to Gaither high school, only to be late for class because he always needed a little extra time to groom his perfect hair—always a priority, always a good reason to delay. When we were roommates at USF it was common to find an obscene amount of empty Gumby’s Pizza boxes and Gatorade bottles in our dorm room. We’d also find ourselves DJing at the campus radio station in the early hours of Tuesday mornings. Neither of us had any real talent for it, but what we did have was a memory that will stay with me forever.

Chad was a bright light in everyone’s life—spreading joy effortlessly. He loved deeply: his Lord, his family, his friends, and even strangers. He was the embodiment of what it means to be a truly great person. We had plans to make what he called “Old man memories” together, and while I’m deeply saddened we didn’t get many of those, I am forever grateful for the memories we did share.

I’m a better man because of Chad, and I carry his light with me every day.