Charlotte Bennett Carter Leith

“Charlotte” Bennett Carter Leith, age 95, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, formerly of Fredericksburg, Virginia, passed away Saturday, April 4, 2015 at Warner Community Hospice Center in Fernandina Beach, Fla.

Charlotte was born on April 28,1919 in Fredericksburg, Virginia to George (Bob) F. Bennett and Charlotte (Lottie) Walker Bennett. After a four year stay in Chicago with the father’s family, she returned to Fredericksburg in 1924 with her mother and baby sister, Lucille.

For many years, the family lived at 809 Charlotte Street in Fredericksburg with her Mother, Lottie Walker Bennett, sister Lucille, grandparents, Thomas Jefferson (Jeff) Walker and Charlotte Roberteen (Robbie) Humphries Walker until Charlotte met and married Marvin F. “Buck” Carter of Spotsylvania in 1939.

Charlotte graduated from Fredericksburg High School in 1936 and is believed to be the last surviving member of that class. She began her career as a telephone operator at Chesapeake and Potomac (C&P) Telephone Co. As a young woman, she enjoyed playing the piano for family and her own enjoyment. She loved breaking the silence with her thunderous rendition of “Ben Hur Chariot Race,” when all present came to attention. Music was always important in her life, subsequently in 1945, she and Buck, now a WWII U.S. Navy veteran, continued their love of dancing and became quite accomplished ballroom dancers “Clearing the Floor” with the Jitterbug, Foxtrot and the Waltz of that era and enjoying many fun nights out with friends.

Over the years, the Carter family lived, not only in Fredericksburg, but the communities of Springfield, Woodbridge and Triangle, Virginia during which she raised her children and worked at the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC, U.S, Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir and U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico as a civilian. For a few years in the early 1980’s, she owned and operated an antique shop, “Charlotte’s Web” in Triangle, where she and Buck built their own home on Joplin Road, living there 15 years while their youngest, a daughter finished high school. The oldest daughter followed and built her own home in Joplin to be near the parents.

After Charlotte’s retirement in 1984, her passionate love of history and the City of Fredericksburg brought her and her husband home to become a recognized volunteer at Historic Fredericksburg Foundation for several years.

Her husband of 47 years, “Buck” Carter passed away in 1986 after a long battle with cancer. Ten years later, she met and married Howard Leith of Fredericksburg and continued her love of dancing to “The Big Bands” into her 90’s. Although she was dealing with blindness in the last 10 years of her life, few knew of her disability as this beautiful lady would gracefully move about the room meeting and greeting new and old friends with a big smile and kind words. You could find this couple at most yard sales on weekends, church services on Sundays and all the festivals and concerts in town. In fact, some members of the family have spoken of her as the “Energizer Bunny” because she never stopped moving. To our delight, she just kept going and going.

At the age of 82, Charlotte was proud of learning to use a computer and wrote a book about her life memories by sending them via email to her daughter Marsha for compilation, copyright and possible future publication.

Charlotte is survived by her four children, Marsha Carter North (Bob) Riley, Sherry Carter Meders (Mike) Garbarini, both of Fernandina Beach, FL; Michael Lewis Carter of Fredericksburg; Steven Walker Carter of Bruington, VA; and six grandchildren: Lori North Beatty, Jacksonville FL; Kelly Carter (Tim) Merrill, Ashland, VA; Ali Meders-Knight, Chico, CA; Isaiah Meders, Los Angeles, CA; Jacob (Jessica) Meders, Tempe, AZ; Michelle Carter Enter, Chattanooga, TN; and, eleven great-grandchildren: Chrissy Beatty of Cape Canaveral, FL; Jeffrey Beatty (Candace) of New Orleans, LA; Carter and Tim Merrill of Ashland, VA; Jessica and Alex Enter of Chattanooga, TN; and Nia, Sukui and twins Malena and Elizia Meders-Knight of Chico, CA; and first- cousin Brenda Walker D’Antuono of Delaware and niece Terry Johnson Beverley of Fredericksburg among many other cousins, nieces and nephews in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

Mrs. Leith is also survived by her present husband of 18 years, Howard Leith of Fredericksburg and his children, Richard (Lyne) Leith; Mary (Gary) Yordy; Clyde (Dorea) Jones; and grandson Ricky Leith, all of Northern Virginia.

Mrs. Leith was predeceased by her mother Lottie Bennett, her first husband Marvin (Buck) Carter and her sister, Lucille Bennett Johnson of Fredericksburg.
Graveside Services and burial will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Quantico National Cemetery on Joplin Road (I-95 Exit #150) in Triangle, VA, with Reverend Eric Goforth of Chancellor Baptist Church officiating. Remembrance contributions can be sent in her name to Chancellor Baptist Church, Gordon Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407.

Please share her Life Legacy at www.oxleyheard.com

OXLEY – HEARD FUNERAL DIRECTORS