James Richard ‘Jim’ Carter III, 85
Jim Carter, 85, of Acton and more recently of Acton, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2025, surrounded by his family.
James Richard Carter III — also known as Jim, Jimmy, Big Jim, Dad, Papa, The Foundation, and Mr. Cartair (to his students) — was born in Boston on August 15, 1940. His parents (James Richard Carter II and Juliet Greene Carter) divorced when he was quite young, and he and his sister Ann (Snyder) moved around with their mother, living in Boston, Groton, and Acton.
Starting in fourth grade, Jim began his lifelong connection with The Fenn School. He was a boarding student there through eighth grade and then moved on to Exeter in New Hampshire. After that it was on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he quite promptly began to fail out. Too many movies and frat parties. His father suggested that he go get his act together somewhere other than college. So, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany for two years. He cherished those years, particularly meeting people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Eventually Jim had matured enough to give Penn another try. It was a good thing he took that break, because now Jeanie Beebe was there. They met in the cafeteria where he was serving breakfast to “the coeds,” as he would put it, and the rest is history. They dated for a few years on and off — a bit more “off” than on, though. Jim finally graduated in June of ’65 and left for Istanbul, Turkey, to teach at Robert College. They continued a correspondence over the next few years until Jim surprised her one summer in Spain, where she was working at an American school. This marked the true beginning of their romance, culminating with an engagement on the Rock of Gibraltar among the monkeys. They were married in Washington, Connecticut, on September 6, 1969.
What followed were 56 years of building their family and his teaching career. Jim began teaching at The Fenn School in the fall of 1970. He began as a French teacher and then moved on to history. He became the admissions director at Fenn in 1979 and held that role until 1995. Much of his time at Fenn was spent as a ninth grade Russian history teacher, and he may or may not have dangled one of his misbehaving students out of his classroom window — remember, this was the ’80s. Jim loved his time at Fenn and forged so many friendships with faculty, staff, and students alike. He retired in 2010 but maintained his connections there until the end.
Jim and Jean started their family in 1973 and quickly had their three daughters, Juliet, Alison, and Stephanie. He was the ultimate “girl dad,” never missing a play, field hockey game, or fencing meet. He read to his girls every night — everything from “Little House on the Prairie” to “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” These years were also filled with travel, including cross-country and European family vacations; trips to Russia and D.C. with Fenn; summer camp at Acton Academy, where Jim was the director for many years; and many neighborhood dinners that turned into costume parties. (So many wigs and tutus — thank you, Colin Pease.)
They also welcomed multiple long-term house guests during these years, from cousins to exchange students to friends. The house at 742 Barretts Mill was a very welcoming place and gave many people a safe place to land. The stories their kitchen table could tell…
Then came the weddings, where Jim was the king of the rehearsal dinner speech. Always funny, sometimes irreverent, and occasionally written at the last minute on the back of an Us Weekly subscription card.
The next chapter brought grandchildren — so many grandchildren. Jim actually offered $1,000 to the first daughter and son-in-law to make him a grandpa. We assumed this was a joke, but when Carolyn was born in 2002, he arrived at the hospital with a brown paper bag full of cash. Always a man of his word.
After retirement, Jim and Jean began to travel in earnest. They visited many amazing places with their group of fabulous travel buddies, including Mongolia, China, Turkey, Peru, Germany, Finland, Norway, Tibet, Fiji, and New Zealand. What adventures they had.
In his later years, things slowed down as he dealt with health issues. During the past few years, Jim enjoyed watching his grandchildren’s pursuits, reading a good mystery or history book, and doing crossword puzzles — in pen, no less. More than anything, Jim cherished staying connected with his community of friends, family, and former students. He had a gift for remembering every important moment — from birthdays to anniversaries — and always made sure to send a card.
Jim leaves behind a legacy of family, friends, multiple godchildren, and former students, including his wife of 56 years Jean (Beebe); his daughters Juliet and her husband Seanbaker Carter, Alison and her husband Kyle Norris, Stephanie and her husband Matt Lydon. He also leaves 10 grandchildren Carolyn, Judson, Miller, and Grafton Norris; James, Tacy, and Harper Carter; Wilder, Marlowe, and Birdie Lydon. He will be forever missed.
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at The Fenn School this coming spring.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to The Fenn School, ATTN: Alumni Office (Jim Carter — Teacher Advancement/Travel Fund).
Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Acton. To share a remembrance or to offer a condolence on Jim’s tribute page, please visit DeeFuneralHome.com.
