Renowned former Port Mansfield lawman dies in his beloved port city

RETIRED WILLACY COUNTY DEPUTY JACK CARPENTER, who died over the weekend, is pictured in the place he lived and worked in; Port Mansfield. Photo courtesy of the Valley MorningStar.

After patrolling the quaint fishing village of Port Mansfield for about 20 years, retired Willacy County Deputy Sheriff Jack "El Lobo" Carpenter died on Sunday of natural causes. He retired from the county in the late 1990s, according to Sheriff Larry Spence.

Carpenter, 78, was born in Rio Hondo, became fluent in Spanish, and is survived by his wife Lydia Carpenter, and his four children, and eight grandchildren.

He started his career in 1957 with the Texas Department of Public Safety as a state trooper, after serving in the U.S. Army, according to a an article published in the Valley Morning Star. Three years later Carpenter joined a newly created narcotics (task) force.

Carpenter said at the time in the 1960s, "It wasn't a very big force, just 17 of us, and ... back then, nobody but the U.S. Customs knew much about drug trafficking."

The future Willacy County deputy went on to work undercover for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in Mexico City, where he was called to help contain a riot at the U.S. Embassy.

"We went over there and helped get things under control," said Carpenter in a prior article. "But ... a Mexican detective magazine picked it up, and they called me "El Lobo" (the wolf)." Carpenter said he never liked nicknames after that.

The likeable deputy went on to work as an animal control officer, operated an ice house on the Mexican side of the border in Matamoros, and went on to get his real estate license at the University of Houston.

He decided to join the Willacy County Sheriff's Department in 1977, after he only made one real estate sale. Former Sheriff Oscar Correa made him the offer, which would eventually put him in a community where he retired with his wife.

Carpenter said he went through three sheriffs, four port directors, and three petitions to get him fired, but that he stuck with it.

Sheriff Spence said that Carpenter was quite a character, was fun loving, and that some went there just to see him."

"He had long yellow hair and wore a calvary hat," Spence said. "He was very interesting to talk to because he was not a run of the mill deputy."

"He was the 'chief' out there, made his duty stops, and carried out the law," Spence added. "He was a family man."

"I'm really going to miss him. We weathered several hurricanes together," Spence added.

Carpenter's memorial service will be held in Port Mansfield on Saturday at 2:00 p.m., under the direction of Duddlesten Funeral Home.

Carpenter's family said in a statement to the Chronicle/ News that, "After a valiant fight against cancer he succumbed to a stronger foe. With hope in his heart and a cigar clenched between his teeth, he said good-bye."

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