James L. “Stony” Carter, 73, of Great Falls, passed away at a local hospital on Saturday, September 30, 2017.  Cremation has taken place under the care of Croxford Funeral Home.  Per his wishes, no services are planned.

Stony was welcomed into this world on June 27, 1944 in Hickory, NC by parents, Elmer and Violet Carter.  He spent his formative years growing up in North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.  He graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas with a BA in English and Philosophy. 

Joining the U.S. Marines in 1966, Stony married his first wife, Kazuko Teruya while in Okinawa.  After his release from the service in 1968, he continued living in Okinawa, teaching English as a foreign language.

He moved back to the states and became a land surveyor for the Forest Service, working in the Flathead National Forest from 1979 to 1989.  He worked as a land surveyor for the Bureau of Land Management out of the Oregon-Washington office from 1989 to 2001.  In 2002, he joined the Department of Transportation in Helena.  In this same year, he married Janet Zabka in Augusta, MT.  Most recently Stony was working as an independent part-time surveyor. 

In his spare time, Stony enjoyed fishing, hiking, reading, classical music and riding his motorcycle. 

Stony was loyal, kind hearted and generous.  He was a survivor, whose strength of character was evident through several medical challenges which included dialysis treatment these past 13 years.  He was highly respected and deeply loved.

Survivors include his loving wife, Janet; step-daughter, Morgan (Jeff) Sanford of Brooklyn, NY; step-son, Michael Zabka of Pittsburgh, PA; sister, Suzie Trimble of Miami, OK and brother, Dan Carter of Augusta, MT.  He was preceded in death by his parents and son, Monty Carter.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Stony’s name to Glacier National Park Conservancy, PO Box 2749, Columbia Falls, MT  59912.  After all, it was the park that drew him to a life in Montana.  

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