Jack A. Painter
RALEIGH
Jack A. Painter, 87, husband of Catherine Stephenson Painter, of Raleigh, NC, died March 20, 2017 following a life of fruitful service to God, Church, and to any person needing his physical or spiritual help.
Born in Mount Holly, North Carolina, in 1929 to the late A. Luther and Edna Guin Painter. He began each day with God, often remarking, “I don’t want to talk to people about Christ before I have talked to Christ about people.” He served as pastor for fifty-seven years before retiring in 2011.
Surviving are Catherine Stephenson Painter, his wife of 61 years, daughters Tamara Painter Peebles (W. Craig Peebles), their children Garrett and Caroline Peebles of Raleigh; daughter Melanie Painter Hobson (Craig C. Hobson), and their children Caleb Hobson (Adrian), Catherine (Aaron Eubanks), Meredith Hobson, and Nathanael Hobson of Woodstock, Georgia; brother Harold D. Painter (Virginia) of Tarboro, NC; and sister Brenda Painter Barnes (Dr. Lyndel Barnes), four great-grandchildren: Noah Hobson, Dixie Leigh-Ann Hobson, Brynlee Elizabeth Eubanks, and Leighton Jayde Eubanks, and many nieces and nephews.
During his senior year at ECC, God changed Jack’s intended direction from classroom science teacher to pulpit ministry. He was an East Carolina graduate and R.O.T.C. and, commissioned by the United States Air Force as an officer. He served in the Strategic Air Command during the final months of the Korean War.
Following marriage in 1955, Jack entered Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, earning his Master of Divinity degree. He graduated from the North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Bowman Gray School of Medicine Clinical Pastoral Training in 1958. During his seminary years, he served as Youth Director of First Baptist Church, Raleigh, where he was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1956. Following seminary, he began serving a series of churches: Ashley’s Grove Baptist, Conway, NC; Menola Baptist, Woodland, NC; Knightdale Baptist, Knightdale, NC; First Baptist Church, Altavista, Virginia; and First Baptist Church, Belmont, NC, from which he retired (1994) following twenty-one years as senior pastor.
In 1982, as a Mars Hill College alumnus, Rev. Painter served as a Life Trustee at Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM April 1, at Montlawn Funeral Chapel, 2911 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh 27603. The family will receive friends Friday, March 31, 6:30 – 8:30 PM at Montlawn. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Mars Hill University, P. O. Box 370, Mars Hill, NC 28754; or to Trinity Baptist Church, 4815 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609.

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