Retired federal judge dies at 80

Judge David W. Carstetter died at his home

Judge David W. Carstetter

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Retired Federal Judge David W. Carstetter died at his home last week at age 80.

Carstetter was born in Perry, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Penn State in 1960. He spent five years as a fighter jet pilot in the U.S. Navy. Along the way, he met and married Joy Thompson.

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Carstetter earned his Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree at Duke University Law School and began his career as an attorney in Jacksonville. In 1997, he was appointed a federal judge and served on the bench until he retired in 2013.

He served as a board member of the the Five Star Veterans Center until 2015, and remained an emeritus member.

Carstetter is survived by his wife, Sue Carstetter, his sons, David and John Carstetter, daughter Lisa Terry, his step-daughter by Sue, Jamie Tillotson. He had two granddaughters, three grandsons and a great-granddaughter, according to the Naugle Funeral Home. He was laid to rest Wednesday at the Jacksonville National Cemetery. 


About the Authors

Tom Wills joined Channel 4 in 1975 and has co-anchored Jacksonville's highest-rated evening newscasts for more than 40 years.

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