Robert Carey Obituary

The Philadelphia Inquirer
March 6, 1990

Robert Carey

Robert W. Carey used to recite "Casey at the Bat" for his daughter, Megan, but his version had a happy ending. He passionately rooted for Penn State's football team and went to as many home games as he could with his younger brother, Leo. He was an Irishman whose twinkle had a twinkle.

Robert W. Carey had another passion - public service. At 44, he was the director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office and Insurance Center on Wissahickon Avenue in Germantown, the largest regional office in the country.

Since 1985, he had headed the 800-employee office that paid $500 million annually in benefits to veterans and their beneficiaries. He also directed the Department of Veterans Affairs' "GI" life insurance programs nationwide.

On Sunday, on a ski vacation in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., he had a heart attack and died. He lived in Roxborough.

Mr. Carey's father, James, died of a heart attack at the age of 48, said Leo Carey. The Carey family is from the little town of Girardville, Pa., about 20 miles southwest of Hazleton.

"My mom raised us when my dad died. We had nothing. If it wasn't for Social Security, we really would have nothing," Leo Carey said.

"Somewhere along the way, our lives were instilled with helping people. We've never talked about it, but we've devoted our lives to public service."

Leo Carey is director of field programs for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington, D.C. His older brother, Jim, is a former Navy captain on a nuclear submarine and is now the commanding officer of ROTC at Cornell University. His sister, Mary Catherine Dwyer, is a teacher in Pottsville.

"Bob and I couldn't have been any closer," said Leo Carey. "No, we didn't have any great hobbies. We shared each other. We shared our lives."

Daniel P. McCann, chief, management staff at the Veterans Affairs regional office, knew Mr. Carey for nearly 19 years.

"He was a gregarious person with a real zest for living. He enjoyed being Irish. He had traveled to Ireland," he said.

"He enjoyed being from Girardville . . . and took pride in having been from a small town. He started a competition, a softball game between employees here and the Girardsville townspeople."

Last year, Mr. Carey received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award from President Bush for his integrity and commitment to excellence. He was also awarded the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Equal Employment Opportunity Award for managers and executives.

He donated that award - $1,000 - to an employee assistance fund at the Veterans Affairs regional center. That fund is expected to be renamed in Mr. Carey's honor.

He was active in federal and veterans affairs locally and was a frequent visitor to Washington, where he had testified before a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee.

Survivors include his wife, Jean; daughter, Megan; his two brothers and sister, and his mother, Catherine.

A memorial service will be held at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at St. Bridget's Roman Catholic Church, 3667 Midvale Ave. A viewing will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at McDonald's Funeral Home, 403 W. Main St. in Girardville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph's Parish, 211 W. Main St., Girardville. Burial will be at the Annunciation Cemetery, Shenandoah, Pa.

The family asks that contributions be sent to the American Heart Association or St. Joseph's Parish Memorial Fund in Mr. Carey's name