Richard Carter Sinclair

Richard Carter Sinclair, 72, was born on June 1st, 1953, the son of the late Carter and Betty Sinclair. From a young age, Richard showed fearlessness, a big heart, skillful hands, an engineer’s brain, a whimsical imagination, and an adventurous spirit that would characterize his life. He would become a traveler, an inventor, a builder, and a storyteller.

Throughout Richard’s lifelong adventure, his imagination and skills flourished – inspiring him to create practical and magical objects from wood, metal, and stone in his workshop. He honed his skills with cabinetry and woodcraft, welded found-metal pieces into curious creatures, told stories to his friends, and lived a near-magical life with his beloved wife, Barbara. His last day was a good one, spent in his workshop. A whirly gig. A wooden box. A tool that needed sharpening. And then, as the sun was going down and he sat petting his dog and sharing a cocktail with Barbara, his big heart stopped beating. He took his last breath on Monday, December 15th, 2025.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Sinclair of Taylorsville; his children, Jesse Phillips (Torian) of Murfreesboro, TN, Billy Buff (Jenny) of Murfreesboro, TN, and Emily Sinclair (Jeff) of Montrose, CO; and his siblings, John Sinclair, Bob Sinclair (Carolyn), and Margaret Sides (Michael) all of Hickory, NC.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, David Sinclair.

Many will miss him, his creative spirit, his many stories, and his love of life. As he often said and always lived, “Life is an attitude, pick a good one.”

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society.
A memorial service will be held at The Shop from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Sunday, May 31st, 2026.

Please sign the online guestbook at www.caringcremations.net. The Sinclair family has entrusted arrangements to Caring Cremations Life Celebrations and Funerals at 828-855-3350.