Jance Stuart Carter, 42, of Lexington, Indiana, formerly of Madison, Indiana, passed away at his home on Friday, September 29, 2023, from a massive coronary heart attack. Jance was born on November 1, 1980, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Timothy Stuart Carter and Marka Marie (Mershall) Mullins. He graduated from Scottsburg High School in 1999. Jance earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Associate of Arts in Chemistry from Indiana University Southeast in 2018 and quickly forged a career in microbiology and DNA science. He was working as a Microbiologist for Zoetis Labs in Louisville, Kentucky at the time of his passing, and he spent several years as a Laboratory Technician at Prescient Medicine and PCR Scientist at Eurofins Genomics, where he led COVID-19 field testing at the height of the pandemic. Jance had a lifelong passion for nature and science, but his family, especially his wife and daughter, came above all else. He spent much of his time visiting natural areas across the country, where he loved to hike, learn about the history (natural and cultural) of unique areas, and find and photograph rare wildlife with his wife and love of his life, Bessy (Martinez) Carter. At home, he was a passionate and skilled gardener who delighted in bringing his fresh produce to the Farmer's Market and local restaurants. Jance was preceded in death by his biological father, Timothy Stuart Carter of Bagdad, Kentucky; brother, Jerrad Marcus Carter of Scottsburg, Indiana; maternal grandparents Marcus DeLafeyette and Marilyn Mershall of Bedford Kentucky; and paternal grandmother, Lucille Rawlings Shuck of Shelbyville, Kentucky. He is survived and will be greatly missed by his wife, Bessy; daughter, Brianna Lynne Carter; parents, Marka and James Earl Mullins of Scottsburg, Indiana; brother, Evin Timothy Carter (Lindsey Hayter) of Powell, Tennessee; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Eddie and Stephanie Martinez and nieces and nephews, Lauren, Matthew, and Kate of Madison, Indiana; sister-in-law, Nidia (Martinez) Aguilar of Tallahassee, Florida; stepbrother, James Earl Mullins, Jr. of Clarksville, Indiana; grandfather, William Carter of Buckner, Kentucky; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Maria Teresa and Juan Ramon Martinez of La Esperanza, Copan, Honduras; and many very loving aunts, uncles, and cousins from all sides of his family, all of whom Jance held close to his heart. Services will be held at Collins Funeral Home on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 1:00 pm. Visitation will be held at Collins Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm and on Thursday from 12:00 until the time of service at 1:00 pm. Burial will follow at Scottsburg Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to his wife, Bessy and daughter, Brianna. Online condolences: www.collinsfuneralhome.net.