Wade Carter didn't just sell cars, he raced them
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At age 70, Wade Carter wasn't talking about retirement. He loved his car dealerships, and particularly the people he came into contact with on a daily basis.
Little by little, his son, Wade Carter III, was taking over. But the business Mr. Carter built from scratch, starting with his flagship Volkswagen dealership in Ballard 41 years ago - the one he slept in some nights during the early days to get established - remained dear to his heart.
Mr. Carter died Friday morning when the helicopter he and another man were riding in crashed near a golf course in Port Orchard. He and Robert LaPrarie, 59, of Seattle died in the accident.
It was not immediately clear who was piloting the craft. Both men were pilots, and the helicopter - a Robinson 44 belonging to Classic Helicopter in Seattle - had dual controls. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Mr. Carter was learning some of the helicopter's fine points from Mr. LaPrarie, who had 11,000 hours of flight time including three tours of duty in Vietnam, according to Karen Walling, president of Classic Helicopter.
He was "on a check ride, just building hours," Mr. Carter's son recounted. His father had planned to pick up a new Robinson 44 from the factory in Torrance, Calif., and fly it back to Seattle next month.
Mr. Carter was born in Coos Bay, Ore., and raised in Salem, which is where he met his wife, Mary.
The couple lived in the Lake Forest Park area and would have celebrated their 43rd anniversary in September, according to their son.
Mr. Carter attended the University of Oregon in Eugene, intending to become an architect. But that aim was derailed after he got involved with a Volkswagen dealership in Salem in the early 1950s. "It kind of kicked off his love of vehicles," his son said.
When the opportunity to open a Volkswagen dealership in Seattle arose, Mr. Carter seized it, establishing the business while his wife remained behind in Salem. He later added Saabs to his Ballard dealership and opened a Subaru dealership in Shoreline.
Mr. Carter was active in the auto industry, serving three terms on the National Volkswagen Dealer Advisory Council and as president of the Seattle Automobile Dealers Association. An old friend, Bob Campbell, an owner of Campbell-Nelson Volkswagen in Edmonds, described him as "a pillar in the community and a quality guy. You could tell the quality of the man by the people that were drawn to him."
Mr. Carter was very fond of the Ballard community, his son said. He was active in Ballard Rotary, of which he was once president, and spent 20 years on the board of Ballard Hospital, which later became a branch of Swedish Medical Center, his son said.
Mr. Carter exulted in the acquisition of cars, but he did more than just collect them. He also raced them.
The same day in 1985 that Mario Andretti won a race at Portland International Raceway, Mr. Carter won a preliminary event there, "a Volkswagen Cup race matching drivers competing in Golf-model VWs," according to an article in The Seattle Times. "Wade, the fastest qualifier, led from wire to wire."
Mr. Carter also maintained an extensive collection of race cars and vintage cars from the 1930s to the 1970s, including Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Jaguars, Porsches and Ferraris, his son said.
In addition to his wife and his son, Mr. Carter is survived by a daughter, Sara Carter of Woodinville.
Mr. Carter became a grandfather for the first time nine months ago, when his son and daughter-in-law, Rebecca, had baby Allison. A memorial service for Mr. Carter is set for 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Mark's Catholic Church, 18033 15th Place N.E. in Shoreline. The family suggests remembrances to the Boys and Girls Club of Seattle.
A celebration of Mr. LaPrarie's life will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Classic Helicopter Corp., 6505 Perimeter Road, Boeing Field.