Joseph Monroe Carter Cheves Jr.

After a valiant and heroic 4-year battle with prostate cancer, on April 11, 2012 56-year-old Joseph Monroe Carter Cheves Jr. passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family. Carter is survived by his wife of 32 years, Jan Cheves, son Carter Cheves of Apex, daughter Emily Cheves of Apex, sister Carolyn Cheves of Little River, SC, aunt Louise Tostensen of Brunswick, GA., and numerous loving in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins.Carter was born in Morganton, NC on January 15, 1956. He was preceded in death in 2007 by his father, Joe Cheves of Cheraw, SC, and in 2011 by his mother, Martha Crawford Cheves of Wadesboro, NC.He grew up in Morganton among countless childhood friends, and was an avid and accomplished athlete. As an 11-year-old, he won the Morganton punt, pass and kick contest in his age group. He was also the starting quarterback for the Mighty Mites PeeWee football team, and earned a spot as starting quarterback on the league's all-star team. He missed the game though, due to an ankle injury in the last game of the regular season. An excellent baseball player, Carter led the league in batting average at .470 as a ten-year-old. Carter's true sport was golf, though. He won three father/son tournaments with his dad, Joe Cheves, at Mimosa Hills Country Club, beginning as a ten-year-old with a net score of 78, a couple of years later with a net score of 67, and the pair again took home the trophy when Carter was 15, shooting a round of 68. He scored two hole-in-ones during his career. In 1972, he won the Burke County Junior Golf Championship, firing rounds of 71, 72 and 71. Durwood Buck wrote about the event, utilizing these compliments from other golfers to describe Carter's play: "great swing, best putter around, tremendous temperament and consistent." Carter played golf at Morganton High School, where he helped the team win the Northwestern Conference Team title in 1972. He also played golf at Freedom High School, and was a member of the first graduating class in 1974. Carter had an adventurous spirit, exemplified throughout his life, especially through his participation in an Outward Bound adventure and a month-long trip across the U.S. with friends in the early 1970's.A 1979 graduate of North Carolina State University with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering, Cheves began his career as the golf course superintendent for Twin Valley Country Club in Wadesboro, N.C. He left this position to pursue a career with The Wolfpacker, writing and learning all aspects of the publishing business. After the 1983 NCAA basketball championship, Carter worked on the book, Too Soon To Quit with Jim Valvano. In 2012, he was honored by Stuart Coman, whom he worked for at Coman Publishing, with an endowed golf scholarship at NCSU. He was an assistant sports information director at his beloved NC State University for nine years, winning numerous awards for his publications. In 1995, he took over the reigns as president of the American Golf Association, the company founded by his father, Joe Cheves, conducting senior golf tournaments throughout the U.S. and Latin America.As president of American Golf Association, in 2003 Carter founded the Joe Cheves Junior Invitational, over the years developing it into the premier junior golf tournament in the southeast. Cheves established the JCJI to bring together an elite field of junior golfers for a quality prestigious annual event. The Joe Cheves Junior is recognized as an official N.C. Junior Rankings event by the Carolinas Golf Association, and is also a ranked tournament by the Junior Golf Scoreboard. In 2011, the JCJI was ranked number 22, among junior golf tournaments in the country by Golfweek Magazine. Cheves also created a scholarship program through the tournament to promote junior golf, support the Burke County community and reward excellence in the field of golf. He also did freelance writing for various sports publications.In addition to his professional career, he devoted a great deal of his time to volunteer work with the Apex Cougar Club, Relay For Life and coaching little league sports. In a final act of bravery and sacrifice, he donated his prostate and additional tissues to support prostate cancer research. After his initial cancer diagnosis, Carter began training, and ran two half marathons, plus the 2010 full Tobacco Road marathon, and walked a marathon at the 2011 Relay For Life. His greatest joys in life were his children, and he loved every moment spent with them. Carter was a devoted father, husband, relative and friend. He lived the richest, most full life imaginable, filled with love and faith. Children and animals sensed his tender spirit, incredible wit and inner joy, and flocked to him. He was a member of Apex United Methodist Church, and was recently re-baptized, and lived a devoted life for his Lord and Savior Jesus. His last message for friends and family was 'I'm a lucky man.'You are a much-loved man, Carter Cheves. We miss your beautiful smile and warm, tender heart already. Watch over us from heaven.The family will receive friends at Sossoman Funeral Home from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 2012. On Saturday, April 14, a service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Morganton at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, April 14, 2012, followed by a brief visit to the graveside at Forest Hill Cemetery..In lieu of flowers, please make donations to American Cancer Society, CAM Relay SAS Jacks Team, 8300 Health Park Dr., Suite 10, Raleigh, NC 27615, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, 1250 Fourth Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, or Hospice of Wake County, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.