WE LOVE YOU JOE AND SHARI
Joseph J. Carter, Esquire
services
in lieu of flowers
obituary
(contact Mickey Rocque if you are able to lend a hand with Joe's caseload)
"He relished being in the legal profession. Everyone knew him,
and they always had a kind word to say."
-David Carter
Given all the mocking and scoffing that occurs on this blog, I am hopeful that we can treat the passing of a friend to many with the dignity that it deserves.
Joe was a good and decent man and I send my prayers to his wonderful family and all those that knew and cared about him.
A great guy. Only the good, etc.
what happened with Joe Carter? from the tone of the comments posted so far, i hope its not what i think it is. why is it that this blog always gives a half story (or no story) allowing a lot of room for filling in the blanks?
He passed away from a lung ailment.
Yes, sadly its true Joe passed away last night. Besides knowing him as a great guy and friend all these years, I recently had the best time working with him on putting together the Emerald Society Brekafast where he was just named President. I remember at the end of every meeting he always said it was time to go home any play with his son before he went to bed. He was so excited about working on the upcoming Red Mass and building his new firm. Its sad the good ones always go too soon.
RIP Joe.
Mike
This makes no sense. Everyone I know is walking around in a daze. Life is too short. Why do we always lose sight of this simple fact until a tragedy like this occurs?
I hope the Carter family knows the outpouring for Joe. Though no one except for a brave few like Mr. Ahearn will sign their names or post a comment for fear of being blog outed, they should know how much of a difference Joe made in our lives.
Always a smile, time for a question, or just an everyday chat over coffee in the cafe, Joe was a consummate gentleman and friend.
I got to know Joe when I first came to the PD's office back at the beginning of the decade.
He and his crew had already left and formed their own firm but he was always at the courthouse and could always be found after hours at all the local places where the Criminal Bar would be having some after-work relaxation.
Joe was one of the nicest and most friendly people to talk with, strategize with, commiserate with after a bad loss, or celebrate with after a good win.
I don't think I ever saw him without a smile on his face.
God bless Joe and his family.
A mensch.
I was devastated when I learned about Joe's passing. He was genuinely a very good person and could always make you laugh. My heart goes out to Shari who I knew from the PD's office.
Andy Coffey
Remember him as being a pleasure to deal with while I was with the State.
My God be with his family right now and into the future...
Words can not describe the loss. Joe was a great partner and loyal friend. He was one of the most charismatic and charming attorneys that I have known. Joe leaves behind a loving family, wife and son. He was expecting his second son in May. He lived for his son Zachary, and was very excited about the arrival of his new son.
Joe, I cannot write any more without breaking down into tears. I will miss you more than I can ever express.
I am planning on setting up a college account for Joe and Shari's children. If anyone is interested in contributing they can contact Eric Schwartzreich or Robert Yates.
My broken heart goes out to Shari their son and the rest of Joe's family. Joe was a GOOD man!! He had a great personality and always made himself available to those who needed his assistance, advice or anything else. He will be missed.
May God continue to Bless you Joe Carter and your family!!!
Our hearts and prayers go out to the Carters. I cannot begin to express how sad we are that we will not see Joe in the office or hear him talk so lovingly about his family. It was his whole world. We've known him since the early PD days and I cannot conceptualize the fact that I will not see him again. We love you and will miss you dearly
Like everyone else, I've been trying to keep busy all morning.
It doesn't help. This is a tragedy, redeemed only by the beauty he brought into our lives the short time we knew him.
God bless Joe, Shari, Zachary, and his brother.
I can remember this as if it were yesterday. I was seventeen years old and a freshman attending Florida State University. My best friend at the time said, "You have to meet this guy in my dorm - he is absolutely hilarious". That guy was Joe Carter. We did meet. He was hilarious. And our lifelong friendship sprung from that first meeting. For those who know and love Joe Carter, they know that Joe's humor was a reflection of his mind and heart – light and spirited, quick and sharp, personable and warm. Today is a tragic day. Tears are running down my face as I write this because of the personal loss that I feel and the memories that I am recalling of Joe.
From our first meeting I have always shared a connection with Joe and his own family. My heart goes out to them all. I cannot begin to comprehend the emotion, or, grasp the grief they must be experiencing at this moment. I am certain that everyone whose life has been touched by Joe will be there for his family in this time of great sorrow. Especially, Shari, little Zack and the baby on the way.
I had the pleasure and privilege of calling Joe my friend. We shared our youth, Spring and Winter breaks, backpacked Europe together, houseboat’ed the Suwannee River and spent Summers in North Carolina. We were college buddies. We were roommates. We were law students together and later law partners. It was Joe Carter that led me to the PD’s office as an intern (and, later an employee); as he had been hired by Al Schreiber the semester before. Our time there from 1994-1998 were some of the best memories of my life (and, yes - Joe Carter did orchestrate buying Al Schreiber the office Daiquiri machine).
For those that didn’t know him, Joe could be a trickster as well. My first day as an intern, having never stepped foot in a courtroom before, he pulled me out of the hallway and told me I was going to try a DWLS in front of June Johnson. He and Eric Schwartzreich would stand as my trial supervisors (we were really just three, twenty-four year old kids at the time). I was terrified. Joe leaned over and told me to go and cross examine the arresting officer. He slipped me a folded piece of paper and whispered - 'just ask him these questions'. At the podium, shaking with nervousness, I addressed the court, opened the paper and quickly learned that Joe had simply written down as many words as he could think of for the word 'vagina'. That was Joe Carter. That story may not be appropriate at this time, but I am writing this again with tears in my eyes because it was Joe’s laughter afterwards that I am recalling most. His humor and smile were infectious and his laughter was loud and I can remember its sound as if he were right here with me now. I am going to miss you my friend.
Like all good friends, we had our rough patches too. We fought and shared loss and tears. We were law partners from 1998-2001 and our firm split was difficult. We had a hard run of it for a time. But, I am happy to say that we always remained friends because that was the nature of Joe Carter. He was not a man that anyone would ever have wanted to remain on bad terms with for any length of time (and, he would never allow it). His character was fair and strong. There is so much more I could say about Joe; and, I feel stupid sitting here rattling on and on, but I am thinking about our conversation a few weeks ago over burgers and catching up on stories of he and Shari - about Zack – and, his family and his plans for the future. All I can think about right now and all I want to express is that a wonderful person was lost today. A man far too young to be taken from us so soon. I am not a praying man, but I am praying for Joe and his family. I will miss you Joe. You were and are loved by so many. May your family find strength in the lives you have touched, the people you have served, the love you felt for them, the man you were and the life you led.
My heart, too, is broken over the loss of such a wonderful person. My earliest memories of Joe go back to the PD days. I don't understand how such a great person, husband, and father can be taken away so soon. My prayers go out to his family.
I saw Joe and Shari just a few months ago and Joe was ecstatic at the news that he was going to be a dad again.
i'll never forget your cheerful demeanor and bright smile, Joe.
my thoughts and prayers go out to Shari.
I met Joe at my first happy hour as a PD CLI, where he was hanging out with his partners. Of the hundreds of times I have seen him since then, I can't remember a time that he wasn't too busy to talk or share a laugh.
He was a good and decent father, husband, friend and lawyer. I know I'm a better lawyer for having watched him more than a few times in a courtroom.
He will be missed by all that knew him.
by joe's passing and the red mass post...
it is always the good that pass to soon
I only knew Jow from around the courthouse. What a great guy. Never pushy or obnoxious, always got it right for his clients. Never afraid to announce ready either. A real lawyer.
I am so sorry to hear about Joe's passing. I wish his family and all of his friends my deepest condolences on their loss. Joe's first jury trial was against me back when he was in the public defender's office and I was in the state attorney's office. He handled the case with grace and skill. He was a pleasure to deal with. More recently, we were able to co-counsel a case together and, true to his character, he was a gentleman to deal with. It was the son of the client who called this morning to tell me the horrible news. Joe will be missed by all.
Joe Carter is one of the greatest guys I ever met. It is inconceivable that he is gone. None of his many, many friends know what to say to each other. We are all miserable.
He was a great trial lawyer in part because he was such a bright and personable guy. Juries loved this guy.
But not as much as he and Shari loved each other. And his son, Zack. Joe loved his son. While we would email stupid jokes and photos to each other, Joe would send out pictures of Shari and Zack at Disney, Shari and Zack at the beach. Zack’s first tooth, Zack with ice cream.
I eventually asked him to stop sending family photos, and resume sending out his famous “weekender” email.
Joe really loved life. He was such a happy person. Whenever we think of him we were doing something fun and having a laugh. Everybody liked him. He was a good and honest and decent man, and he deserved longer than he got.
Joe is part of the fabric of the Broward criminal courts. I just can't believe this is happening.
And you never heard anyone ever say anything negative or bitchy about Joe. Amazing, especially considering the adversarial nature of our business and his effectiveness as a gutsy trial attorney.
That is a hysterical story and so like Joe to say the least. I hope you kept the paper with the important questions for you to ask the officer (although more likely, you balled it up and chucked it at Joe's head as he was running down the hall away from you after court laughing his ass off).
Joe was a truly special guy with a lot of gifts.
Please post funeral information when available.
I'd suggest that whatever memorial events there are, we who knew him and practiced with him hold one as well.
One last happy hour with and for Joe downtown.
Viewing is Saturday, 3/22 at 2-4 & 6-8 at Fred Hunter Funeral Home, 718 South Federal Highway, Ft. Laud. and the Funeral is on Sunday, 3/23 at 3:30 pm at Star of David, 7701 Bailey Road, North Lauderdale
It sounds trite, but he is in a better place. My prayers to his young family.