Mack Lee Carpenter 

1941-2024

Mack Lee Carpenter, aka "Big Mack," age 82, formerly of Livonia, passed away February 1, 2024.  Mack was born in Detroit, Michigan to Elbert Lee and Desta Mae (Woolum) Carpenter.

Mack was a warm and loving husband, a supportive and devoted father, and a fun loving friend.  Mack was respectful of everyone and reliable in a pinch---he loved nothing more than helping those around him.

Born and raised in northwest Detroit, Mack was a graduate of Redford High School.  During school, he met his wife, Carol Maureen (Boggess) Carpenter.  They married in 1963 and were devoted to their two children, Robert Lee and Cheryl Anne.  When Carol broke her neck in 2014, Mack took fantastic care of her until her death in 2016.  Mack became a widower when Carol died in 2016.  He married Sharron Taylor in 2018.

Mack graduated from Wayne State University and received his Juris Doctor from Cooley Law School (Detroit College of Law) in 1971.  He was sworn in at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. and practiced family law for decades before joining his daughter Cheryl Anne in criminal defense.  Mack was fondly known in court as the Detroit lawyer who always wore a cowboy hat.

Mack was passionate about his hobbies.  After funding his education as a sports and crime scene photographer with a darkroom in the basement, he remained everyone's favorite portrait artist.  Mack loved vehicles---if it had wheels or wings, he could build a flawless model of it.  Mack was a voracious collector and hanger of art.  Mack wrote poetry and short stories, several of which have been published. He also loved tinkering with cars, especially Corvettes, and restored several of them over the years.

Mack was a serious athlete.  He was a scratch golfer, an avid tennis and later table tennis player, a hockey player, and a lifelong weightlifter.  If there was a game, Mack would play it.  He was an active coach and manager of his children and grandchildren's tee ball and baseball teams.

Mack was an avid traveler both domestically and abroad, being especially fond of American and Canadian cities and the United Kingdom.  Mack loved a good All American road trip.

Mack's warm personality and generous nature positively impacted everyone around him.  He is also survived by his grandchildren Bradley and Dylan Babitch, and his sisters Zelma Crossland and Deborah Carpenter, and many nieces and nephews, whom he adored. Mack is preceded in death by his father and mother, and his sisters Betty and Susan.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Phillips Funeral Home, 122 W Lake St, South Lyon, MI 48178.  Funeral will be on March 30, 2024, visitation at 11:00am and funeral at noon.  Memorial donations in Mack's name may be directed to the Carol Carpenter Memorial Endowed Writing Scholarship at Oakland University.

https://www.phillipsfuneral.com/obituaries/Mack-Lee-Carpenter?obId=31027887