Robert "Bob" Wray Carter Jr.

Robert Wray Carter, Jr. 86, passed away early Thursday morning June 13, 2024, at the Penn Nursing Center in Reidsville. A lifelong resident of Rockingham County, Bob was born in Reidsville on November 30, 1937, to Hattie Irene Talley Carter and Robert Wray Carter, Sr. 

Bob graduated from Wentworth High School in 1956. He was voted “Most Intelligent” by his classmates. Raised on his family’s tobacco farm, he continued farming with his father after graduating from high school. He was filled with a lifelong love of the land and was a committed conservationist. 

Bob’s true passion was history, especially local history. He said his love of history began when he was a young boy. He sought out older people, asked questions and listened to their stories. This activity started with his own family and soon expanded into the community. He also developed a keen interest in architecture at an early age.

As an adult he traveled throughout Rockingham County, with his friend Si Rothrock, identifying and photographing numerous historic houses. Bob went on to research the houses and the families associated with them.

Bob never pursued a college degree but over the years took many history classes at Rockingham Community College. He made lifelong friends in these classes; these friendships increased his ability to develop and discover a deeper understanding of Rockingham County and her people. The historian Lindley Butler once asked Bob why he continued taking classes and Bob replied, “because in every class I met somebody new and learned things I didn’t know.” 

In 1987 the North Carolina Historical Society awarded Bob the McDaniel Lewis Award as North Carolina’s Historian of the Year. 

In the wake of the Tobacco Settlement Bob was able to retire from farming while still in his prime. “Retirement” allowed him to accept a position curating the Historical Collection at Rockingham Community College; a position he held from 1991 to 2012. In 2002 the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners appointed Bob Rockingham County Historian. 

Bob was instrumental in the founding of the Museum and Archives of Rockingham County (MARC). He served on the MARC Board and after his second retirement – this time from the college- he worked with the MARC as a Special Collection Consultant. Bob remained active with the MARC until the end of his life and was a Trustee Emeritus.

Bob gave tirelessly of his time to acquaintances and strangers alike- from all over the United States-who were interested in their ties to Rockingham County and its history. This included many day trips to show families properties where their ancestors lived or where their family cemetery is located. 

Bob authored numerous historical articles and was the editor of the Rockingham County Historical Society Journal. He was an editor of “The Heritage of Rockingham County, 1983.” He was one of many illustrious contributors to William Powell’s 6 volume “Dictionary of North Carolina Biography” (UNC Press); the American Reference Book Annual noted there “. . . is no other state with a biographical dictionary of comparable scope and quality.”

He served on the Board of the Eden Historical Museum, Wentworth Preservation Committee, Mayo River State Park Advisory Committee, Naturalist Club, Sons of the American Revolution, and the Sons of the Confederacy. 

In 2023 the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners passed a unanimous Resolution expressing their appreciation for Bob’s “lifelong dedication to researching and protecting the rich history of Rockingham County for its citizens both now and for future generations”.

Bob was a quiet, private person with a lifelong desire to learn; friends recall his heart of gold. He remained cheerful even as his health declined, occasionally expressing a wry sense of humor that was without guile and never unkind. He often ended his sentences with a soft self-deprecating chuckle. Bob was of the Baptist Faith. 

Bob and the love of his life Diana (Auman) celebrated their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary in 2023. Bob is survived by his wife Diana and their son Thomas W. Carter. Tom was a true blessing during his Dad’s last months, he was constantly at the side of his parents bringing untold joy to his father. Other survivors include Bob’s sister-in-law Sally Pinnix (Jack), niece Jennifer Haigwood and nephew William Haigwood. 

The family will receive friends at Wilkerson Funeral Home from 6 - 8 pm Friday, June 21; the funeral will be at Reidsville’s First Baptist Church on Saturday, June 22 at 2:00 p.m. Interment at Greenview Cemetery will immediately follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the “Bob Carter Fund”, which was created with the sole mission of gathering, preserving and cataloging Bob’s vast historical collection for the MARC. Donations to honor Bob can be made on the MARC website or mailed to:

Museum and Archives of Rockingham County P.O. Box 84, Wentworth, NC 27375.