James Bynum Carter, 87, of Covenant Village, passed away March 23, 2012, at Gaston Memorial Hospital, Gastonia.
Born on April 6, 1924, in Greenville, S.C., he was the older child of Arthur Dewey and Myra Rucker Carter.
Mr. Carter graduated from Gastonia High School, attended North Carolina State Textile School, and the Executive Program at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He joined A.B. Carter, Inc. in 1948, the company founded by his late grandfather, where he served as the Chairman of the Board and CEO until his death.
Bynum was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Belmont Abbey College, as well as their Grace Award. He received other awards including Distinguished Service Award from the Gastonia Jaycees; Man and Boy from Salvation Army Boy’s Club; Citizen of the Year from Gastonia Civitan Club; Silver Beaver from Boy Scouts of America; and the Sims Award from The Community Foundation of Gaston County. He received the Sprit of the Caroli-nas Award and the Order of the Longleaf Pine in September, 2007.
He has served as President of American Textile Machine Association, Barium Springs Home for Children, Gastonia Jaycees, Gastonia Rotary Club 1970-1971, Gaston County YMCA, Piedmont Council Boy Scouts of America, the Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, and the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce during its golden anniversary. In addition, he has been Chairman of the Salvation Army Boy’s Club Council, Gastonia Regional Planning Commission, Gaston County Chapter American Red Cross, Gastonia Industrial Diversification Commission, Gastonia Planning Commission, and the Board of Trustees of Belmont Abbey College. He was a charter member of the Board of Directors of Covenant Village.
Survivors include the loves of his life, Rebecca “Becky” Blankenship Carter, who he met at a Spinsters dance in Charlotte; they were married on June 1, 1951. They have a daughter May, who is married to Carroll Barger. They live in Gastonia with grandchildren, Josie and Ben. Bynum’s sister, Tula C. Rob-bins lives in Raleigh. Also included with special thanks are his caregivers, Jimmy Armstrong, Chastity Barnett, Hazeline Belton, Starletter Belton, Scott Crawford, Aisha Twitty, and Liz Whitener.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a twin brother Arthur Dewey Carter, Jr. and a daugh-ter, Sally Hodges Carter.
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