On February 1, 2021, Carter Braxton Ficklen passed away peacefully at home.

Carter was born on July 30, 1942, growing up in Hilton Village. He earned Eagle Scout honors and graduated from Warwick High School in 1960. In 1964, Carter married Carol Lipscomb, raising three children, Margaret Anne (Tom), Frances (John), and Carter III (Jennifer).

Carter and Carol celebrated their 57th anniversary earlier this year, sharing a lifetime of love with their friends and family. During their retirement, they traveled extensively with friends, continued their love of spending time in the Outer Banks, and enjoyed time with their five grandchildren, Thomas, William, Skylar, Braxton, and Elizabeth.

He graduated with honors from CNU and received his MBA from William and Mary. Carter began his career in health physics at Newport News Shipbuilding and in 1977, became the first radiation safety officer at NASA Langley Research Center. In 1989, he joined Jefferson Lab, serving in a number of leadership roles in environmental health and safety, until his retirement in 2008. He was an active leader in his industry, serving as President of the Virginia Chapter of the Health Physics Society and the American Industrial Hygiene Association, Tidewater Local Section.

Carter always believed in the importance of giving back to his community and served on many volunteer boards, including the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, the Volunteer Center, the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, St. Andrew’s Day School, and the National Aeronautics Support Team.

His deep love and dedication for his family extended to his community and his faith. A lifelong member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, he served multiple terms on the vestry and as the Director and coach in the church’s youth basketball program for 26 years. He influenced the lives of countless young men on his teams, who later in life, he would call friends.

Sports were one of Carter’s greatest passions. An avid tennis player since his teens, he served multiple terms as president of the Hilton Tennis Club. In college, he also found a love for being on the other side of the ball as an official. He officiated high school softball, basketball, and football for many years and was one of the Peninsula Football Officials Association’s oldest crew chiefs. He found great joy in sharing his love of officiating in mentoring young officials, many of whom have gone on to officiate at the college level. In 2018, he received the Milestone Award from the Peninsula Sports Club, acknowledging his contributions during his 35-year career as a local official. But his love of sports was never more evident than in recent years when he was able to watch his grandchildren excel on the sports field.

A private family service will be held at Peninsula Funeral Home on Friday, February 5 at 3 p.m., and guests are invited to view the live stream service at www.peninsulafuneralhome.com/video. All COVID restrictions will apply.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Newport News, earmarked for community outreach. Arrangements are under the care of Peninsula Funeral Home, 11144 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601.