TAVARES — Dennis Wayne Carter, 68, passed away Nov. 14, 2024. A celebration of Wayne’s life will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Trinity Church, 890 Abrams Road in Eustis.
Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Wayne moved to Central Florida in 1972 from Russellville, Kentucky.
He served as the executive director with the MainStreet DeLand Association (MSDA) since 2013, making him the longest-serving executive director. He was also a founding member of the Florida Downtown Association, and was an active member of Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Eustis.
Wayne speaks to the crowd at the 2023 Veterans Day Parade in DeLand.
During his tenure with the MainStreet DeLand Association, Wayne represented the association at local organizations and events, including the Rotary Club of DeLand, River of Lakes Heritage Corridor, Fall Festival of the Arts, the Faith, Hope & Charity Society, and several others. Under Wayne’s leadership, MSDA received numerous awards and recognitions at the local, regional and national levels, including “America’s Best Main Street” in 2017. In May of 2024, Wayne was certified as a MainStreet America Revitalization Professional. He was truly a MainStreet Rock Star!
Wayne also loved music! So much so that he was a member of M.T. Pawketts Band, and enjoyed hosting open-mic nights around town.
Wayne is survived by his loving wife, Elizabeth H. Carter of Tavares; his two brothers, Elwood “Butch” W. (Martha) Carter Jr. of Ormond Beach and Donald J. Carter of Huntsville, Alabama; his two sisters, Carole Carter (Charles) Cole of Rock Spring, Georgia, and Layne Carter (Al) Hendrickson of Astor; and many cherished nieces and nephews. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Elwood Sr. and Edna Carter, and his brother Thomas Neil Carter.
Wayne will be remembered for his dedication to his community and the love he shared with those around him.
The family has requested that to honor Wayne’s memory, donations, in lieu of flowers, go to the Trinity Church “Chill With Us” fundraiser (https://trinityfree.com/give), the MainStreet DeLand Association (https://mainstreetdeland.org/donate), or the Florida Downtown Association Wayne Carter Scholarship (https://www.floridadowntownassociation.com). An online guestbook is available at www.hardenpauli.com. Harden/Pauli Funeral Home in Eustis is in charge.
