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Cancer claims deputy
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Forsyth County News

Funeral services were held Tuesday for a Forsyth County Sheriff's investigator who died following a two-year fight with colon cancer.

Tab McCoy Carpenter died Friday at Embracing Hospice House in Cumming. He was 41.

Carpenter started his employment as a deputy with the sheriff's office in 2002 and was promoted to investigator. He handled property crimes in the sheriff's north precinct.

Sheriff Ted Paxton said Carpenter was dedicated to service and duty.

"He was a tremendous deputy and we're truly going to miss him," Paxton said. "It's a sad day when you see somebody that young taken by such an unrelenting disease."

Paxton said the sheriff's office is grateful for Carpenter's life and the time he worked there.

Paxton said about a month ago, Carpenter married his girlfriend of 13 years, Michelle Pierce, at Northside Hospital-Forsyth.

"We're grateful that the citizens of Forsyth County were able to have a person such as Tab Carpenter working for them," he said.

According to his obituary, Carpenter was a graduate of the Tennessee Wesleyan College with a degree in human services and a minor in criminal justice. He was a four-year letterman in football and All American receiver for two years.

He worked with the Georgia Department of Corrections for 12 years before coming to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.

Carpenter's funeral was held at Cumming First United Methodist Church and internment followed at Sawnee View Gardens.

Carpenter's father, William Carpenter, preceded him in death.

Along with his wife Michelle, Carpenter is survived by several family members including his mother, Clara Carpenter of Cumming; brothers, Marty (Kate) Carpenter of Middleburg, Fla., Wiliam Carpenter and Cindy Rippy of DeFuniak Springs, Fla.; sisters, Ruth-Ann Miller of Ball Ground, Kerrie (Russell) Amoson of McDonough and Mae-Ronnie (Michael) Grella of Cumming.