Family and friends will gather one month from today to remember Floy Carter, and are sharing this with her community now:

Floy Carter, 97, of Seattle, passed away early on November 1st, 2025, at home with family.

Floy Margene Miller, daughter of Floyd L. and Margaret (Shafer), was born July 3, 1928 in Sioux Falls, SD. She grew up on a farm outside of nearby Colton, where she learned how to milk the cows and ride her pony bareback.

When her older brothers went away to war she helped her dad in the fields. After graduating with the Lyons High School class of ‘46, Floy taught country school and then worked in Sioux Falls. In 1955, she moved to Seattle with a suitcase and enough money for one quarter of college tuition. She found a job in a doctor’s office and enrolled in the University of Washington. There, she met Jerry Carter, a young man studying engineering on the GI Bill. They married in 1958.

After surviving breast cancer in her early thirties, she and Jerry adopted two baby boys. The family moved to Auburn, WA in 1971. Floy took care of her family, house, garden, and cat. She was very active in her church, and supported her boys’ schools and activities. When the boys were older, she worked as the office manager for a nonprofit clinic in Kent until retirement.

In 2000, Floy and Jerry moved to West Seattle to more conveniently dote on their granddaughters. They made many friends at Tibbetts United Methodist Church. After Jerry passed in 2007, their son Ray lived with Floy and helped care for her until his death in 2016. Floy was able to stay in her own home with the support of family, including her granddaughter Katy, who came to live with her during the pandemic. Until nearly the end of her life, she read two to three mystery books every week.

Floy is survived by her son Tim, daughter-in-law Sara, and granddaughters Katy and Janet. She was preceded in death by her brothers Dwight, Burdette, and Harold Miller, her cousin Jeane Reddler (the sister she always wanted), her husband Jerry, and son Ray.

There will be a memorial service at 2 PM Sunday, January 4th, at Tibbetts United Methodist Church, 3940 41st Ave SW. A private burial will be held at Evergreen Washelli Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Tibbetts UMC or the Seattle Humane Society.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)