Max Leon Carter, age 84, of Payson, Utah passed away peacefully at Mountain View Hospital, Monday, January 26, 2026. He was born in Payson on September 20, 1941, to Jesse Douglas and Amber Nellie Cannon Carter.
Max spent his whole life in Payson, attending school at Peteetneet Elementary, Payson Jr. High and graduating from Payson High School where he enjoyed playing basketball.
He met his eternal companion and the love of his life, Linda Lunt, in Eureka, and they were married on November 1, 1961. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Provo LDS temple in May 1982. Through their 64 years of marriage, they endured many ups and downs, continually supporting each other and growing closer together. You would rarely find one of them without the other close behind.
They are the proud parents of four daughters, Becky (Blaize) Hanley, Leann Carter, Kristy (JL) McDonald, and Trisha (Tim) Ringger; 11 grandkids and 15 great grandkids.
Max was a very dedicated, hard worker. When he was young, he’d help his dad with harvesting work in the strawberry and beet fields. He also worked for his older brother, Wayne, at his gas station and spent summers hauling hay. After graduating from Utah Tech, he worked several years at Tooele Army Depot as an autobody worker. He then started at Geneva Steele, where he spent most of his working years as a crane operator. In 1984 he started his own lawn care and pest control business that took him into retirement.
Max was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many capacities. There were many people, inside and outside of the church, that he was able to become friends with as he was very non-assuming and had a pure love for people. Max and Linda were able to serve in the temple baptistry in the Provo and Payson temples for 15 years.
As he transitioned into retirement, he found a love of and talent for woodworking. So many beautiful things he made were gifted to family and friends and will forever be treasured.
Max was an avid gardener and loved being outdoors. From the time he was young, he loved hunting, fishing, and camping. He always knew the best fishing hole and the best bait to use for each area and would often share these tips with others after he would, “put on a clinic” for them. As much as he loved the outdoors, he really loved enjoying those things with his family, always looking for a weekend to go camping or a quick weeknight fishing trip to Payson Lakes.
Because his kindness was so genuine, he could turn a stranger into a friend in less than a minute. His goodness was felt and appreciated by so many. His family and friends were his greatest treasure in life.
A special thanks to family, friends, and neighbors that have helped look after Max and Linda’s needs.
A viewing for family and friends will be held on Thursday, January 29th from 6-8 at Walker Mortuary in Payson. Funeral services will be held Friday, January 30th at 11:00 a.m. at the Mountain View 7th Ward (681 E. 500 N. Payson) with a viewing held prior to the services from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
1 Condolence for Max Leon Carter
Condolence(1)
David Moyar says
January 29, 2026 at 8:19 amI’m so brokenhearted to hear of the passing of Max Carter. My family and I had the blessing of being neighbors with him and Linda for about 27 years down here in Payson. The two of them have always been so sweet with each other. Max always had some clever story or a twist of words to make you laugh in just about any circumstance. I remember him serving in a Young Men’s presidency when he was in his 70s. One might think him too old for such a calling, but his wisdom and experience were priceless to those boys. And yes, we have some of his beautiful woodworking here in our home, which is now to be treasured all that much more. My wife Ingrid and I express our deepest condolences to Linda and the rest of his family. May God bless you all!