Deborah Power Carter

Deborah Power Carter, 69, of Lancaster, PA, passed away on Monday, December 23, 2024, at Hospice & Community Care of Mount Joy, PA, from an aggressive recurrence of breast cancer. Born in Charleston, WV, she was the daughter of the late Robert Buel and Joan Mering Power. She attended Wake Forest University where she majored in Math and French. Her early career included teaching these subjects, then working as a computer programmer for 12 years before returning to the classroom as a computer science teacher. She completed a master’s degree in Educational Computing Technologies from UNC-Greensboro and was a teacher for the rest of her career, first in Winston-Salem, NC, and then in Lancaster, PA, also holding professional positions with the College Board and Computer Science Teachers Association. Debbie married Michael Kent Brady in 1979 and the couple divorced in 1982. She married William Custis Carter in 1987, and they were married until his death in 2005. She married William Bowen Cater (she was fond of pointing out that his name was “not a typo”) in 2007, and they were married until his death in 2017. Debbie was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church where she enjoyed singing in the choir and playing handbells, serving on church leadership, and volunteering at the St. John’s Food Pantry. She also volunteered over the years with Girl Scouts of the USA, Kiwanis International, and other organizations. She loved traveling, being with her dogs, doing word and math puzzles, and spending time with family. Her family wishes to extend our heartfelt gratitude to caregivers Faith D’Urbano and Sue Heilman, and the staff of Hospice & Community Care of Mount Joy, who provided truly exceptional and loving care to Debbie in her final months. Surviving are her daughter, Erica Brady Angert of Richmond, VA (married to Jack Angert); stepdaughter, Joanna Rose Carter of Raleigh, NC; stepson, Christopher William Carter of Greensboro, NC; stepdaughter, Adrienne Morgan (Carter) Pietryka of Fulton, MD (married to Brian Pietryka); stepdaughter, Kerry Jane Cater of Wayne, NY (married to Max Allen); brother, Jeffrey Buel Power of Denver, CO (married to Christine Des Enfants); ten grandchildren; and her beloved dogs Mimi and Cherie. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society or the St. John’s Food Pantry (payable to St. John’s Episcopal Church, specify the donation is for Food Pantry). Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Debbie’s life at her Memorial Service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 321 W. Chestnut Street, Lancaster, on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 3 p.m. with Rev. Amanda Knouse officiating. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.