Doris C. Carpenter, PhD, DAPA, nee Cowerd, a 30-year Pennsauken resident, was born on January 28, 1954 and was called home by her heavenly Father on January 2, 2021.
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, Carpenter was the fifth of seven children born to the late Rev. Dr. William B. Cowherd, Sr. and Willie Arburta DeShong, formerly Cowherd, nee Johnson. Doris gave her life to Jesus Christ, accepting Him as her Lord and Savior in 1976.
From the time she was a child, Doris had a laugh that was contagious and a smile that could light up the room. She had a tender heart and a capacity for unconditional love that was remarkable. She would give correction or rebuke if necessary, but she never stopped loving. She had a keen sense of humor, was always a girly-girl, and grew up to be a lady. She had a firm sense of right and wrong; a champion for the former and opponent of the latter. She had the spirit of an advocate and could often be found pursuing the interests of those who had been disenfranchised or robbed of their voice.
From a very early age, Doris loved to sing. She was the subject of private vocal coaching, known for her sultry mezzo-soprano voice and was a much sought-after psalmist. She had a love of classical music, but no one could deliver a negro spiritual with more depth of emotion. She served God with her gift of music as Director of the Youth Choir, Woodtones Inspirational Choir, Male Ensemble, and Restoration Choir at the Parkside United Methodist Church in Camden, New Jersey where she had been a member and servant-leader for fifty years. She served as Sunday School teacher, as well as a Bible teacher for the Methodist Youth Fellowship. She felt that her greatest work in the army of the Lord had been as counselor, teacher, and friend to the young people of the church and community. Her desire was to lead them to salvation, sanctification, and purpose-based living in Jesus Christ. Always capable of taking a leap of faith, she joined Little Rock Baptist Church in Camden, NJ in 2019 under a new young pastor, Rev. Steven T. Mack. She was a dedicated member who worked with church leadership to strengthen its ministry presence within the Camden community.
Doris was dedicated to educational excellence and a lifelong learner. She received her primary education in Atlantic City, NJ until the family relocated to Camden. Doris lived in the Parkside neighborhood where she attended Camden Public Schools. She graduated in the top ten of the Class of 1971 from Camden High School. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education (Westminster Choir College), Master of Education (Rutgers University), and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychoeducational Processes (Temple University). She is certified as a Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association.
Doris always wanted to be a wife and a mother. She met the love of her life, William Larry Carpenter, when she was fourteen years old. Upon her mother’s insistence their marriage was delayed until Doris graduated from college. Doris and Larry married on August 2, 1975. Their union bore three children: Olivia Chavonne, Lawrence Christian, and Alexandra Colette. Doris always held rearing her children as her top priority in her life. This love of nurturing children carried over into the many relationships she built through being an adopted mother and Nana to many.
Doris spent her career in education as a music teacher, assistant principal, supervisor of curriculum of the arts and world languages, and principal. In 2003, she founded Lion of Judah Restoration Ministries, Inc. which birthed an inspirational gospel group, Rhesa Praise Ensemble. In 2004, burdened by the glaring acceptance of mediocrity in the public school system, Dr. Carpenter’s capstone professional experience was founding and serving as the Chief Education Officer of the Distinctions in Urban Education (D.U.E.) Season Charter School in Camden, also under the umbrella of Lion of Judah Restoration Ministries, serving 500 K-8 students each year until its closing in 2014.
Upon formal retirement from education in 2014, Dr. Carpenter worked as a consultant in a variety of domains in K-12 education and ministry. As part of her grassroots advocacy, she consulted on historic preservation of buildings and other structures of significance in the African American community. She was a contributor in a 2020 Emmy nominated mini-documentary, “Saved or Lost Forever” She worked diligently as part of the team that ensured that Camden High School received a Certificate of Eligibility from the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. The team also worked to successfully secure the school’s designation as one of Preservation New Jersey’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites in 2017. Dr. Carpenter was a member in the Camden County NAACP, Branch 2080, where she served as chairperson of education and legal redress committees. She was also a member-at-large of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference’s Executive Committee.
Doris leaves to mourn her loss her husband, William, her children, Olivia Glenn (Kobie), Lawrence, and Alexandra, mother and step-father, Arburta & Barry DeShong, her older siblings William Cowherd, Jr. (Libby), Merdis Hill and her baby sister, Arburta Jones. Doris’ grandchildren, Noah, Josiah, Zenobia, Thaddaeus, Zipporah, Barrington and Caleb will always remember the warm embrace of her love and care. She is also survived by her special “adopted” daughters, Shunda Watson and Laura Hinton, “adopted” grandchildren Tiphinnie, Craig, and Ayricca, her godchildren Darnell Jones and Kaylah Worlds, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.
