Saints pays tribute to the late Bill Carter
LYME PARK – William Carter was the former vice-chairperson of the school council and was the school's architect for many years.
It is with great sadness that St Stithians College would like to inform their community of the passing of William ‘Bill’ Carter.
The school’s Annie Fyfe-Hitchings said the school’s condolences go to the Carter family.
“Bill Carter was a true example of a servant leader and one and all at St Stithians and Penryn College are grateful for the life he led and for the immense and significant contribution of Bill and the Carter family,” said Fyfe-Hitchings.
Carter was the former vice-chairperson of the school council and was the school’s architect for many years.
He and his wife Denise joined the Saints family in 1972 and were college parents for 20 years. Their four sons Alain (1977), Guy (1981), Pierre (1984) and David (1991) all attended St Stithians and subsequently, two grandsons Greg (2007) and Michael (2014) also attended Saints.
It was not long before Carter became involved in the school, serving on the Parents’ Association (PA) committee in 1973 and 1974 and became chairperson in 1975. From 1975 until 1977, he served on the college council as PA representative and thereafter as a representative of the Methodist Church of SA, serving continuously until 2003.
In 1986, he was appointed as vice-chairman of the school council. Carter was appointed to the St Stithians College Trust as a trustee in which capacity he also served continuously until 2003.
Carter was instrumental in the success of the Adventurer’s Club which established the outdoor interest in the Boys’ College. Between 1975 and 1983, he led several trips into the Drakensberg mountains, hosting learners at his mountain cottage en route and providing transportation as well. Two of his sons, Alain and Pierre, took part in these trips and were no doubt influenced by their father’s love of the mountains.
With the establishment of the girls’ schools in 1995 and the Junior Preparatory in 2001, the council portfolios were restructured, and Carter’s responsibility on the school’s executive became the planning of buildings.
“Bill’s influence on the physical development of the college infrastructure was significant,” said Fyfe-Hitchings.
In 1980, Carter was appointed as the architect of the (at the time) state-of-the-art Boys College Resource Centre. He was also instrumental in designing the Macfarlane block in the Boys’ Preparatory and the Henning and Frost blocks. He was part of the team that conceived, established and designed Penryn College in the Lowveld. He also designed the Girls’ College and Girl’s Prep buildings in record time.
“Bill conceived the built masterplan for St Stithians which included the parallel flows in our buildings, with the Saint’s Chapel and the Mike Roberts Outdoor Chapel purposely placed to be at the endpoint of the school journey, ensuring that students are guided towards God throughout their time at Saints.
“The Honour Circle alongside Chapel Drive was donated to St Stithians by the Carter family and is a fitting and timely reminder of the values and integrity by which Bill lived his life, and it, in turn, inspires others to honour God, honour others and in so doing honour themselves.”
