Roy Carruthers

Carruthers, Roy
Roy Carruthers passed away peacefully after a long illness at Flagler Pines Nursing Center in Bunnell, FL, on Friday, May 3, at the age of 74. He was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on December 14, 1938, to the late Robert James and Irene (Wilson) Carruthers.
Roy was an internationally known artist, award-winning illustrator and graphic designer for more than five decades. He moved from London, England to Old Greenwich, CT, in 1968. He commuted to New York City for many years and worked as an art director in the advertising industry, then as a commercial illustrator in the early 1970s. He decided to pursue a full time career as a fine artist in 1974.
A return to the advertising world in the mid-1980s brought him acclaim as Senior Vice President/Senior Art Director at Ogilvy & Mather, Inc., for his work on the Seagram's account.
Roy relocated first to Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY, in 1991. Deciding to work independently, he started his own advertising and graphic design firm there, moving it to Astoria, Queens, in 1997.
His signature style of larger-than-life figures with multiple fingers and vibrant colors painstakingly painted in oil on canvas was shown in exhibitions throughout Europe, South Africa and the United States. In 1998 he moved to Florida, initially to Ponte Vedra Beach. That year marked his resurgence as a painter and sculptor, with a sold-out one-man exhibition at Coplan Gallery in Boca Raton, FL. He settled in Palm Coast, FL, in 2002, where he continued making art works until 2008, when his health declined.
He was a warm, loving husband, father and grandfather ("Poppy") with a great sense of humor and a fondness for limericks.
Roy leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife of 15 years, Valerie (Brooks) Carruthers; daughter Alison Carruthers Garb, son-in-law Matthew Garb; and grandsons Kyle and Ryan of Madison, CT; and former wife J. Pamela (Cory) Carruthers of Wallingford, CT. He was pre-deceased by his brother, Robert James, Jr. A memorial service was held on May 11th at First United Methodist Church in Bunnell, FL.