With great emotion, we share the passing of one of our founders and hop legend, Tom Carpenter, Jr.

Tom Carpenter, Jr. was a 4th generation Carpenter Ranches hop grower in Granger, WA. A devoted family man, a tenacious dreamer, and a straight shooter, Tom built a lasting legacy that will carry on for generations to come.

His impact at Yakima Chief Hops is felt in all that we do. He picked hops as just a kid and committed the rest of his life to ensuring the survival and success of Pacific Northwest hop growers by challenging a system that hurt growers and brewers, taking on a traditional system head on. Tom and two other hop families, Smith and Perrault, broke away and formed the first grower owned hop supplier company dedicated to transparency and trust which is Yakima Chief Hops as you know it today.

With a booming voice that commanded attention, humbleness, determination through tough times, and strong family values, Tom Carpenter Jr. guided Carpenter Ranches and Yakima Chief Hops through good and tough years.

Tom will be reunited with his dear wife, Betty, who he loved and missed. They were married for 64 years and raised five sons, and their family grew with 19 grandkids and 38 great-grandchildren.

Tom Carpenter Jr’s presence will be felt in the flowers at @carpenterhops , the red pickup trucks he was known for driving, the sunrises over a hop yard, his beloved family, and the hop community he helped build.

His legacy lives on and we will honor him by continuing forward with the values he instilled in us.

Stay the course.

Tom Carpenter Jr. 1937-2023

Tom Carpenter Jr. Obituary

Tom Carpenter, Jr. of Granger was welcomed into eternity by his Lord on March 1, 2023 surrounded by love and family.  He was born in Wolf Point, Montana on June 21, 1937 to Tom and Violet Carpenter, who moved there out of opportunity and necessity for a period of time, returning to the Yakima Valley in fall of 1937.  He graduated from Granger High School where he was a three-sport athlete and a courtship began with a cheerleader named Betty Roberts. They were married in 1956 and their love affair continues to this day as they are reunited in Heaven.

Tom’s passion for business and people manifested itself in a farm on Liberty Road where he raised chickens, hops, and eventually five sons.  His father was injured in a serious farming accident which required Tom to return to the family farm located on Carpenter Road at a young age where he not only raised his young family, but assumed a leadership role in the US hop industry and in the Granger community.

One never had to guess about Tom’s opinion on any subject.  Whether it be how hops are marketed, politics, or what he thought about Chevy pickups, banks, or Huskies, there was never any doubt about where he stood.  He could be a little gruff at times, but he loved all people and all who worked on the farm were considered family. 

Tom was a man of great vision.  He worked with other community members to create a farm auction which funds student athletes at Granger High School to this day.  He saw water as a vital and necessary resource in the Yakima Basin and helped mobilize a diverse group of stakeholders to explore solutions.  As a fifth generation hop grower, he provided vision and perseverance to a grower-owned company, Yakima Chief Hops, which is now a leading supplier of hops in the world.

His sons, Craig and Brad and his grandchildren, Sarah, Colton, Chase, Austin, Jessica, Erica, and Tyler assumed roles on the farm which allowed Tom to focus on his peony and vegetable garden.  He was a fixture on the farm through last harvest season providing unsolicited advice on how to improve things, and gleaning fruit to distribute to his many friends.  He reveled in greeting his many brewer friends that visited the farm annually.

Tom was a man of action and embraced 1 John 3:18 as a guide for how he lived his life.  “Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”   He attended the Liberty Church and cherished the opportunity to deliver flowers every Sunday for worship services.

He is survived by five sons:  Steve (and Dianna) of Outlook, Tom (and Barrie) of Zillah, Mike (and Deanna) of Grandview, Craig (and Eva) of Granger, and Brad (and Dana) of Granger; 19 grandchildren, and 38 great-grandchildren.   He is also survived by a sister, Carol Carpenter of Berkely, CA, and three brothers, George Carpenter of Bakersfield, CA, John Carpenter of Granger, and Jim Carpenter of Granger.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 on Saturday, July 1st at the Granger High School gymnasium.  Those wishing to contribute in Tom’s honor or memory may submit donations to the Liberty Church or the Tom Carpenter Memorial Scholarship Fund to benefit Granger High School students.  Checks can be left at the time of the Service or mailed to 400 Carpenter Road, Granger, WA   98932.