• Howard & Jones
Alan Craig Carter
Brunswick—Alan Craig Carter, 56, died peacefully at home on Aug. 11, 2026, under the compassionate care of SunCare Hospice, surrounded by the people who meant the most to him—his family.
His family said his life can be summed up in a single word—others. He served his country. He served his community. He served the people he loved. He loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and set out to live a life that made a difference.
Born June 9, 1970, in Brunswick, he came up in the community that would stay close to his heart for the rest of his life. After graduating from Brunswick High School, he answered the call to serve his country and joined the United States Marine Corps. For eight years, he wore that uniform proudly, and his family said it marked him for good—courage, commitment, loyalty and sacrifice. A man does not stop being a Marine when the uniform is folded away, and his service did not end when he came home.
Following his honorable discharge, he returned to Brunswick and began another chapter of service—this time protecting the people of his own hometown as an officer with the Brunswick Police Department. For him, the badge was never simply a profession; it was a calling. It was one more way to stand between people and the things that would hurt them. He knew those streets because they were his streets, and the people on them were his people.
Behind the uniform was a man who cared deeply. He loved his community, valued the relationships God placed in his life, and understood that a life is not measured by the number of years a man is given but by the people he loves and the difference he makes along the way. He loved his family without reservation—his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his parents, his brother and the many who became family over the years. He also knew the rare gift of a friendship that lasts a lifetime in his best friend of many years, Rod Nobility.
He leaves behind more than memories. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, service, loyalty, courage, friendship and love, his family said.
The Marine uniform spoke of his service to his country. The badge spoke of his service to his community. But the love he showed his God, his family and everyone around him—that spoke of the man he truly was, his family said.
John 15:13 speaks to this, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
Survivors include his beloved wife, Eva Carter; his parents, Isham and Carol Carter; his brother, Brian Carter (Robyn); his children, Sean Carter, Alana Carter (Sonny), Austin DuBose (Logan), Melissa Sowder (Charles), Ashley Moore, Caitlin Gibson (Jeremy) and Jasmine Nichols; 11 cherished grandchildren; a longtime best friend, Rod Nobility; and many other extended-family members, fellow Marines, law-enforcement brothers and sisters, friends, and members of the community.
A celebration-of-life service was held on Aug. 17 at House of Worship in Jesup.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made in his memory to House of Worship, 1920 Lanes Bridge Road Jesup, GA 31545 and/or SunCare Hospice, 804 Towne Park Drive, Suite 200, Rincon, Georgia 31326.
Howard & Jones Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
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He spent his life standing for others—as a Marine, as a police officer, as a husband, father, grandfather, son, brother and friend. He served his country with honor. He protected his community with courage. He loved his family with devotion. He held to his God with faith. And he leaves behind a life worth remembering.
His watch has ended. His legacy remains.
Semper Fi. Rest easy. We’ll take it from here.
End of Watch—
Aug. 11, 2026
Rita Ann Phelps
Jesup—Rita Ann Wedincamp Phelps, 71, died suddenly on Aug. 17, 2026, at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
She was born on Sept. 14, 1954, in Brunswick. A resident of Wayne County for most of her life, she graduated from Wayne County High School in 1972. She continued her education at Valdosta State College, where she pledged Phi Mu.
After college, she relocated for a few years to Tifton, where she worked for Dixie Oil Company. Shortly afterwards, she moved back home to Jesup, where she worked for the Wayne County Department of Family and Children Services for nearly 30 years, until retirement. She was never one to be idle, so she went back to work immediately after retirement for the state of Georgia, where she worked as a trainer until her second retirement in 2018. She loved children and devoted her life to the care of children in her community.
She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Jesup, where she worked in the nursery for more than 40 years. She was an active member serving on numerous committees over the years, including the Benevolence Committee and the Pastoral Search Committee.
In her spare time, she loved to travel. She tolerated hunting, but she loved to fish. She enjoyed trips to the ball field and trips to Sam’s for supplies, and she always loved the mountains, as they were her “happy place.”
She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother who cherished the time she spent with the ones she loved the most—her family. Although she rarely showed up in a timely manner, her presence was so delightful that every room she entered was filled with the love of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, her family said.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Mildred Scott Wedincamp; her grandson, Christopher Mitchell; and her siblings, Angela Miles and Michael Parker.
Survivors include her husband of 27 years, Harold Phelps of Jesup; children, Rebecca (John David) Smart of Jesup, Rachel (Will) Tyre of Screven, Betsy Phelps of Jesup and Brant (Amanda) Phelps of Jesup; siblings, Lisa (Donnie) Horton of Mount Vernon, Warren (Kristi) Fountain of Mount Vernon, Geoffrey (Tonya) Parker of Hazlehurst and J.R. Thornton of Florida; grandchildren, Chase Mitchell, Clay Smart, Abby Smart, Weslynn Davis, Reilly Phelps, Prestyn Davis, Caitlin Smart, Samuel Tyre, Emilia Tyre and Reagan Phelps; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended-family members.
Visitation will be held today (Thursday) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Howard & Jones Funeral Home in Jesup. Funeral services will be held Friday, Aug. 21, at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Stanley Todd officiating. Interment will follow in Jesup City Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Charlie Mitchell, Reilly Phelps, Samuel Tyre, Chase Mitchell, Billy Cowart and Wesley Phelps. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Beau Hall Sunday School Class and employees of Wayne County Department of Family and Children Services.
Remembrances can be made to the Christopher A. Mitchell Memorial Foundation at Prime-South Bank, 375 W. Cherry St., Jesup, GA 31545.
Howard & Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.