Sunrise: Oct. 3, 1942-Sunset: Nov. 5, 2021
Mae Ola Carter Chapman was the third child born to Ralph Carter and Robbie Mae (Fleeks) Carter Henderson on October 3, 1942 in Willis, Texas. Mae arrived in Seattle at the age of 12 when her mother and some of her uncles relocated to Seattle in 1955.
After graduating with honors from Garfield High School in 1961, Mae went on to earn her Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Washington. While studying at the UW, she served as a Vocational Counselor for pregnant teens and became the first librarian of the UW’s Ethnic Cultural Center.
In her 29+ years as a Federal Government employee, Mae conducted training seminars on diversity and civil rights, investigated discrimination complaints, mediated disputes, and supervised others in providing these same functions. She traveled across the nation and overseas while earning multiple awards and recognitions for her impressive standard of service. After retiring in 2002, Mae worked in non-profit adoption and child placement.
Ever diligent in building the Kingdom of God, she regularly visited shut-in members, taught Sunday school, sang with the Inspirational 7, served as a Deaconess, and served as a past president of the Congress of Christian Education for the North Pacific Baptist Convention. Over the years, many churches were home to her, yet she was always at home in the Body of Christ.
Mae is preceded in death by her parents Ralph Carter and Robbie Mae Henderson, and her older sisters Reba Caver and Geneva Gaston. She is survived by one son: Eric Carter of Seattle, WA; one brother: David Henderson of Seattle, WA; two sisters: Carolyn Palmer (Pastor Joseph Palmer, Jr.) of Renton, WA and Trudelle Wyatt of Tacoma, WA; a number of nieces and nephews and many extended family members and close friends from coast to coast.
A celebration of her life will take place on Saturday, November 20, 2021 — 11:00 AM at Follow The Light Koinonia Church, 1063 Hoquiam Ave. NE, Renton, WA 98059.
