Stephen Carpenter, 68, of Tamarac, Florida, died Saturday, May 18, 2013. He was born to the late Earl and Ruth Carpenter, February 20, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Stephen grew up in New Jersey, and later moved to South Florida in 1972. He took work as a cabinet maker and learned many things in the methods and work ethic of Europeans, while working alongside cabinet makers that had come to America from France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Britain, Wales, and Russia. He then went into business and ran a successful cabinet shop in Miami-Dade, Florida for 25 years. He designed, built, and installed custom furniture for clients of interior design companies from Key West to Stuart and even Manhattan. After retiring in 2003, he kept his shop running, which he continued to use for various projects. Stephen enjoyed being outdoors and around nature. He was a scuba diver for around 40 years and loved the ocean. He also enjoyed the mountains, boats, motorcycles, movies, music, and cooking. In 2003, he built a home in Northwest North Carolina, where he lived during the spring and summer months. Stephen is survived by his wife: Patricia Carpenter, his son: Jonathan Carpenter, his granddaughter: Isabella Carpenter, his 2 brothers: George Carpenter and Michael Carpenter, and his 2 sisters: Rebecca Cyr and Susan Raff. A service will be held Wednesday May 29th at Savino - Weissman Funeral Home - Margate @ 7-8 pm.