Bruce R. Carrick

Bruce Robert Carrick, of Barrington, Rhode Island, died of cancer on December 27, 2017 at the age of 80. Mr. Carrick, a retired publishing executive, was born in Manhattan on February 5, 1937 to Charles Lynn and Virginia Brewster Carrick. He attended Friends Seminary, Collegiate School, and the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, before matriculating in 1954 at Princeton University, where he studied history and graduated in 1961, though maintaining his affiliation with the class of 1958.

Music—jazz in particular—was a lifelong passion. At the Hill School, Mr. Carrick played saxophone with the Hill School Titans, a Dixieland band. Later, as president of Key and Seal Club, then one of Princeton’s eating clubs, he brought jazz pianist George Shearing and other prominent musicians to play at Princeton during spring house party weekend in 1961. Throughout his life he played piano.

In 1961, he married Ann “Roonie” Ewing of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and returned to New York City to begin a career in book publishing at children’s book publisher, Golden Press, followed by stints at Scribner’s, Doubleday, and MacMillan. He later spent 18 years as vice president and company director at the reference firm H. W. Wilson, retiring in 1996.

In 1964, he and his wife moved to Westchester County, NY, after the birth of their first child.

In retirement, he coauthored three books of history with Princeton classmate, W. B. “Bart” Marsh, each presenting summaries of significant historical events arranged by the days of the year.  365—Your Date with History (2004), 366—A Leap Year of Great Stories from History (2007), Tales of War—Great Stories from Military History for Every Day of the Year (2010).

Mr. Carrick is survived by three children—his daughter, Meredyth Carrick Sanderson, and two sons, Charles and James—three grandchildren, Virginia Sanderson and Findlay and Tobias Carrick—as well as his son in law, James Sanderson and daughter in law, Andra Stoll Carrick.

A private memorial will be held later this year at his summer residence in Ontario, Canada. Memorial donations may be made to the Magnetawan Public Library, P.O. Box 130, Magnetawan, Ontario, P0A 1P0, Canada. Attention: Lorinda Makoviczki. 

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