Beth Carpenter

Sandra Beth Carpenter (neé Beth Swanson) passed away peacefully in the morning of June 2, 2025 at Silver Bluff in Canton, NC from complications of brain cancer.

Born Sandra Beth Mashburn on February 6, 1958, Beth was the daughter of Lee Murphy Vanaman and the late Monroe J. S. Mashburn. Beth was born on base in Frankfurt, Germany and was raised as an Army brat, living in Turkey, Germany, and NC. She graduated from the 71st Senior High School in Fayetteville in 1976.

She earned her cosmetology degree at South Eastern College of Beauty in Charlotte, under the personal oversight of South Eastern President and LaMarick Senior VP Nelle B. Lorick. Beth styled hair at the LaMarick salon in Belk SouthPark mall. Beth was personally entrusted by Mrs. Lorick to hand-carry the daily receipts to the bank. A career stylist, her last salon position was with the hair and spa team at 42 Rue Salon in Clyde.

Beth was a talented hair designer, creative stylist, confidante and informal shrink in her salon chair. Trained in cuts, styling, perms, color, pageant and costume hair, Beth had a special talent for repairing bad home color jobs.

Known in theater circles as Beth Swanson, Beth shared her hair expertise with Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART Theatre) for many productions, creating period styles for many eras, and for multiple generations of performers. She raised a generation of kids as their hairdresser and therapist, from first haircuts to proms and weddings. She styled hair at local convalescent homes, with great care and fondness for “her old people.”

Beth was well-known as competitive, stubborn, acerbic and tactless, and she was kind-hearted and fiercely protective of her circle and the disenfranchised. She loved music, she loved theater, she loved Stevie Nicks, and she loved her two children.

She was married twice, to Kenneth Ray Carpenter and to Bruce Eric Swanson. She is survived by her mother, Lee Murphy Vanaman of Fayetteville; sister Camilla Ann Lyne of Fayetteville, son Kendrick Reed Carpenter (Megan) of Waynesville and son Roen Gremlock (Stevie Gremlock) of Canton, nephew-like-a-brother Michael Lyne (Liz), and great-nieces and nephews Michael Lyne (Jess), Sofia Lyne, Monroe Lyne, Maeve Lyne, and Isaiah Lyne, and two grandchildren.

Beth is in the care of Wells Funeral Home. She will be cremated and there will be no formal service. A celebration of Beth’s life for friends, family and colleagues will be held as an informal outdoor potluck on the grounds of Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART), 250 Pigeon Street, in Waynesville. Mark your calendar for Sunday, June 22 from 6-9 pm, and rsvp at harttheatre.org, for a headcount for serve ware and beverages. Please bring a dish to share and your story about Beth. For now, please email your informal Beth story asap to sandrahayes42@mac.com, or call Sandra to tell the story.

The family requests that memorials be sent to HART Theatre, 250 Pigeon Street, Waynesville, NC 28786.

As Beth quoted her favorite singer:

“No one knows how I feel, what I say, unless you read between my lines”

-from ‘Stand Back’ by Stevie Nicks