William Shands Carter, Sr. William S. “Bill” Carter of Ruston, Louisiana passed away Thursday morning June 30, 2011 at Northern Louisiana Medical Center after a lengthy illness. Mr. Carter was born in Monroe, Louisiana on January 25, 1925 and graduated from Ouachita Parish High School in 1942. He was a World War II naval veteran having served in the South Pacific. Mr. Carter received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana Tech University and his Masters in Communication from the University of South Carolina. A resident of Ruston for over 60 years, Mr. Carter served as General Manager of Ruston Broadcasting Company for 23 years and later as a professor of Speech Communication at Louisiana Tech until his retirement. Active in the community throughout his life, Mr. Carter was the Charter President of the Ruston Jaycees, Charter President of the Greater Tech Foundation and past President of the Ruston Kiwanis Club. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, the Board of Directors of Ruston Parks and Recreation and the Vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. He is preceded in death by his parents, William Shands Carter and Lela Penn Carter and his brother, Charles O. Carter. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ann White Carter of Ruston and three children, Bill Carter and wife Lorie of Ruston; Jane Thomas Rogers and husband Fred of Oxford, Mississippi, and Helen Carter of Shreveport. His grandchildren include William Shands Carter III of Eustis, Florida, Neal Dillon Carter of Ruston, William Preston Thomas, Jr. of Memphis, Tennessee and Carter Thomas of Beaver Creek, Colorado. He was also blessed with three great grandchildren, Valerie Lay, William Preston Thomas III and William Shands Carter IV. Pallbearers will be Don Tippit, Tommy Rogers, Scott White, Shands Carter, Neal Carter and Preston Thomas. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Rogers, Scotty Robertson, B.H. Rainwater, Joe Theriot, Lou Barber, Max King, Charles Fuller and Bill Porter. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Louisiana Methodist Children's Home or the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. The family would like to express its appreciation to Dr. Ed Mariano, Dr. Billy Smith and the nursing staff of the skilled care unit at Northern Louisiana Medical Center. Services will be held Sunday July 3, 2011 at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer located at 504 Tech Drive in Ruston under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 2:00 P.M. at the church with the funeral immediately following at 2:00 P.M. with Rev. Jim Benbrook and Rev. Ned Head officiating. Private burial will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com