This past Friday at midday more than fifty people gathered for the dedication of John Carey Place. Local dignitaries, residents and friends and family of former Rye Mayor John Carey assembled to pay homage to Carey’s life of service. Carey served as Rye Mayor from 1974 to 1982.
“John Carey consistently reached out to get people involved,” said his son Doug Carey, one of four family members that spoke at the ceremony. “It didn’t matter whether they were Democrats, Republicans, not old enough to vote, didn’t want to vote. Didn’t matter what race, what religion, whether they could walk straight, or had cerebral palsy.”
“He reached out to not just get somebody’s support, but to get people involved. He stood for community involvement on the local, the county, the state, the national, the international levels … a community and a democracy share one important essential element. And it’s not all about getting elected. It’s about participation. We thank you. Everybody here who was involved in a committee or commission or volunteering, you are fulfilling John Carey’s legacy.”
Carey’s daughter Jennifer Carey Reichle echoed the same theme of commitment and service: “My dad always gave his all. Whether it was at Yale, at Harvard Law School, teaching at NYU, serving as the United States Representative to the United Nations Subcommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, as a lawyer, as a judge, as Mayor of Rye, as Rye City Councilman, and later in life, a local TV producer of a show he hosted. He was always looking to make a difference …”
“His foremost values were kindness and generosity. And he lived out these qualities. He was a mentor to many and a person whose opinion and advice were worth seeking.”
Watch video playlist of the tributes to former Rye Mayor John Carey:
- County Legislator Catherine Parker
- Rye Mayor Josh Cohn
- Lisa Urban for State Assemblyman Steve Otis
- Chip Carey, son of John Carey
- Former Rye Mayor Joe Sack
- Doug Carey, son of John Carey
- Jennifer Carey Reichle, daughter of John Carey
- Caleb Reichle, grandson of John Carey
- Unveiling of the John Carey Place street sign by family members
