Waterbury loses its ‘Mayor of Stowe Street’
June 22, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated.
Many in Waterbury were saddened this week by the news that Jack Carter had passed away unexpectedly on Monday evening, June 21, at home. He was 75.
A longtime owner of Stowe Street Emporium until 2013, Carter was involved in many aspects of the Waterbury community. He served on the Waterbury Select Board; he was a leader with the Waterbury Historical Society and an avid local historian; he served on the Cemetery Commission and Tree Commission; as a justice of the peace, he was a member of the Board of Civil Authority and was a familiar face at the polls, working as a local elections official. He enjoyed being a member of the Friends of the Vermont State House and the Vermont 251 Club.
Carter was an enthusiastic supporter of the arts and helped found Revitalizing Waterbury from its early days renovating the Stimson and Graves building on Stowe Street to later leading the restoration effort for the Waterbury Train Station. His attention to detail was appreciated each year as the group put up holiday lights and decorations downtown.
From the annual River of Light lantern parade to the Not Quite Independence Day celebration, Carter took part as a volunteer, organizer and cheerleader.
He leaves behind his longtime business and life partner Ted Schultheis.
On Tuesday evening, approximately 80 people gathered for a vigil in the alley adjacent to Stowe Street Emporium where friends had assembled a memorial to Carter. They brought flowers picked from gardens, strings of lights, a portrait, and a sign bearing the nickname Carter earned over the years: “The Mayor of Stowe Street.”
The tall wooden-carved figure of a Canadian Mountie that greeted customers in the emporium when Carter ran the store stood guard over the heartfelt display.
People milled about greeting each other with hugs and some tears, many remarking on it being the first time seeing neighbors in person without masks since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year.
Waterbury artist and longtime friend to Carter and Schultheis, Sarah-Lee Terrat, eventually called the group’s attention to offer some remarks about her friend.
“Without Jack, our town would not be the town it is. Jack was the best friend Waterbury ever had,” she said.
Kathy Murphy succeeded Carter as proprietor of the eclectic gift shop, Stowe Street Emporium. “I’m just so grateful every day that he sold me his business,” she said, remarking on how it has enabled her to get to know so many more people in the community. “I’m so proud to carry on his legacy. I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart.”
Robert Dostis, a former state representative from Waterbury, reflected on decades of friendship with Carter and Schultheis. “Because of Ted and Jack, we moved to Vermont,” he said of himself and his partner Chuck Kletecka. Recalling a Fourth of July visit to Waterbury Center years ago, he said, “The house down the road was for sale and we said we’d take it. He was such an important part of our lives.”
Municipal Manager Bill Shepeluk credited Carter for imagining a business that didn’t exist in Waterbury and taking a chance that became a success with Stowe Street Emporium.
Shepeluk also recalled Carter’s service on the Waterbury Select Board and how that role sometimes frustrated him. “Jack was a dreamer and a visionary and somebody that wanted to get things done,” Shepeluk said. “He wasn’t deterred by ‘you can’t.’ He’d say, ‘why not?’ ‘How can we?’ And, ‘what about?’ Jack jumped in with both feet.”
Carter, who grew up in Windsor, Vt., adopted Waterbury as his home. And while many will miss him, Shepeluk said, the best way to honor him will be to continue in his path. “Don’t forget to do the things he wanted us to do,” he said.
Sue Minter, another former state representative and gubernatorial candidate, recalled how Carter embraced running for local office as another way to get involved. She also remembered how well-received his name was on the ballot, topping the ticket on election day. “I remember him saying, ‘I got the most votes,’” she recalled.
In 2017, Carter at Town Meeting was presented with the Keith A. Wallace Community Service Award for his efforts.
Friends remarked on Carter’s determination to turn the Stowe Street storefront into an inviting shop, how he saw landmarks past their glory days and imagined bringing them back to life. “He was a visionary. He saw a lot of things we didn’t see. He would invite us into his dreams,” Kletecka said.
In a message later, town planner Steve Lotspeich recounted one of those dreams Carter had that came to fruition. “I went into the Emporium one day well over 20 years ago and when we conversed, with Jack at the cash register, I noticed an enlargement of a hand-painted postcard of the train station that was hung on the wall behind the register. We started talking about his dream of restoring the beleaguered station to its former glory. I volunteered to apply for a grant to fund a feasibility study and help make his dream come true. That was the first of so many wonderful adventures in our years of friendship. Rest in peace, Jack.”
Jack Carter 1945-2021 / Photo by Gordon Miller
On the horizon is another project that was a keen interest of Carter’s for years. “Transforming this alley,” said Karen Nevin, executive director of Revitalizing Waterbury. There are plans, designs and grant proposals in the works to rehab the alley where the vigil was held. The project envisions benches, art, flowers in a restored mini-park space. Even before Nevin mentioned it to the whole group, it was on the lips of several at Tuesday’s gathering, many saying a fitting tribute would be to name the spot for Carter. “I like ‘Jack’s Way,’” said State. Rep. Theresa Wood, who currently chairs the economic development group. “It has a double meaning.”
Schultheis eventually spoke briefly at the vigil, thanking all for the outpouring for his partner of 41 years. He recalled in 1994 opening their store, “People said what are you doing? You’ll never make it,” he recalled, saying Carter’s efforts proved skeptics wrong and so many memories have since followed.
Also in attendance was Carter’s brother, Jim, who also spoke briefly. He looked around at the crowd and shook his head. “I wish I wasn’t here,” he said. Yet he acknowledged his brother’s lasting spirit. “Jack did not pass away. Jack passed on,” he said.
MK Monley, longtime art teacher and community organizer, said her mother, who loved Carter’s store, shared a birthday with him. She recalled how every year he has made a lantern to carry in the River of Light parade, often with friend Jan Gendreau. Looking around at the well-wishers, Monley called the vigil a testament to the community.
“We’re from away, too. A lot of us from away have found our way here and it’s a big wonderful family we have here.”
In wrapping up, Terrat thanked those gathered and echoed the dismay at the suddenness of Carter’s death. After a few moments of silence, she raised her arms and asked the crowd to send their wishes skyward to their friend.
A full obituary is posted here. Arrangements are by Perkins-Parker Funeral Home. A memorial service will be scheduled in August.