Louis Henry Carpenter

Louis H. "Sonny" Carpenter III, 79, a resident of Rutledge, Alabama, passed away unexpectedly at home on Saturday, October 7th, 2023. Funeral services for Sonny will be held at 1 PM on Wednesday, October 11th, from the Chapel of Morrison Funeral Home - Cherokee with Rev. Rudy Guess officiating. He will then be laid to rest beside the love of his life, Judy, in Barton Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Turners Funeral Home on Monday, October 9th, from 6 - 8 PM.

Sonny lived a life that was dedicated to service, whether it was his country, his state, his community, or his family, he consistently put others above himself. He stood up for his country and his home by spending several years with the Alabama National Guard, always on alert to show up when he was needed. His work with the state continued throughout most of his life as he was a member of one of the first graduating classes of the newly formed Alabama Police Academy in the 1970s. While he spent four years as the sheriff of Crenshaw County, the bulk of his 30+ years in law enforcement was as a game warden and conservation officer. His love of the land and his home was obvious throughout his many years protecting the environment and wildlife of this state from those who would take it for granted or abuse it. Sonny also happened to be a crack shot with any firearm he could get his hands on, but especially a handgun. In fact, he was an FBI-certified firearms instructor and enjoyed teaching others not only how to properly use their weapons, but also how to respect them to avoid needless tragedies. He carried that training over into his work with Lockheed Martin for a few years where he was responsible not only for security but also as their firearms instructor. He was enormously proud of his decades working in law enforcement, and rightfully so. There is no doubt he made his community a better and safer place due to his service.

Law enforcement was not the sole focus of Sonny's desire to be of service to his community. He had a true and abiding love for serving as a coach and mentor for the youth in Crenshaw County and the surrounding area. He made a difference in the lives of countless young people through his volunteer work as a coach for numerous sports teams, from little league baseball to Peewee and Termite football and quite a few softball teams to boot. He had high expectations for each and every team and child he coached. There are those who mistakenly believe that high and rigorous expectations for children are a detriment, but Sonny learned quickly what all the best teachers and coaches know, that children will strive to excel and met those expectations for people who they know care about them. That was the key: Sonny cared for those players with all his heart. It wasn't really about winning games or making the right plays. It was about making better people out of them. They learned how to set goals and a host of other useful skills that would serve them throughout their lives, far after they left behind the playing fields of their childhoods. There's no telling the difference he made in the lives of his players simply because he taught them to give it their all and that they could go far when they put their hearts into a task. What an incredible legacy for anyone to leave behind.

Sonny gravitated towards coaching children primarily because he was a gifted athlete himself. He was an excellent football, baseball, and softball player who played on several winning teams from high school to recreational church leagues and even a little semi-pro ball. Louis is probably best known, however, for the cowboy hats he wore constantly, and long before John Dutton and Yellowstone made them look cool to new generations! He got his honestly, however, because he loved being a cowboy more than just about anything. He spent many years in the rodeo circuit. He started out bareback riding, calf-roping, and team-roping, but most of his time was spent competing in calf-roping. He was also a gifted musician, excelling at both the guitar and harmonica, and no genre spoke to his heart and soul like good old mountain bluegrass. Whether it was from his work with law enforcement or through the rodeo, there wasn't anywhere Sonny could go that he didn't know someone, even when traveling to Tennessee or Texas. He had a gift for gab and a fun personality to boot, and I doubt there's anyone who knew him who doesn't have a few good stories to tell...though the best ones might not be fit to print!

Likely few things made Sonny prouder than to see his children and grandchildren follow in his footsteps in the rodeo. Of course, there wasn't anything he loved more than his family. He met and married the love of his life, Judy Harry, and they raised a house full of boys who they loved more than life itself. Well, at least until those children made him a Papa, and we all know the grandchildren take center stage once they arrive! He adored his three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren with every bit of his heart. There was nothing he wouldn't do for any of them, whether it was showing up for all of their many events and proud moments or taking on the distasteful task of gutting and scaling fish to cook for them! Don't get me wrong, he loved to hunt and fish as much as any Southern man, but he'd much rather leave the blood and guts tasks to someone else. But isn't that the truest sign of a parent's (or grandparent's) love, doing something you absolutely hate just to make them happy?! Once again, Sonny's life began and ended with service. He was the man you wanted in your corner during both the good and bad times, and he was always more than happy to be right there with you through them all. Words cannot express how much his loved ones grieve over losing him so soon after Judy's passing, but they find comfort in the knowledge that he has happily reunited with her and will be waiting to see them again one day.

Sonny was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Judy Harry Carpenter; their son, Joel Carpenter; and his parents, Louis Henry Jr & Elizabeth Carolyn Patterson Carpenter. He is survived by his sons, Alan (Traci) Carpenter, Kelly Carpenter, and Jeffrey (Cheryl) Harry; grandchildren, Belle Carpenter, Colton Carpenter, and Bethany Harry; great-grandchildren, Riata Carpenter and LariAnne Brindley Carpenter; and brother, James "Jim" (Shelia) Carpenter.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made in his honor to the Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches at www.alabamasheriffsyouthranches.org.