BRIAN CAREY

Brian - 1963 - climbing the West Face of Bugaboo Spire, British Columbia

I´m one of 3-4 guys who renovated Spring Street back in ´76. Got to know Brian and of course Jon, over the course of four or five months and a lot of late nights. We maintained our friendship through the 90s when I left NYC. He was a bona fide original. I still chuckle at recalling some classic one-liner that he dropped on me or an obnoxious waiter. I know it´s 2-3 years late, but just saying I´m sorry he´s not here any longer.

Brian was there during good times and bad times for family. As a family friend, I enjoyed his visits, the witty conversations, funny stories, and really good apple pie. I admire his spirit, creativity, and knowledge.

Although I love all the stories of Brian the Vulgarian, that was now how I knew him. Bob and I were in our younger years, as were our now adult children. After we were introduced, very first thing Brian did was to ask about our family and how they were doing. Brian seemed to know what was close to our hearts. This is how we knew Brian. Not only as the fun loving, risk taking man who traveled the world; but also as Brian, interested in us and our small world of domesticity. For that I...

Brian, with humor, wisdom, and many whimsical ideas, assisted Queens Botanical Garden, where he was for a time a member of the Board of Directors and a member of the Horticulture Committee. He helped me with some tricky design and diplomacy issues when working on large capital projects at the Garden and also came up with simple, elegant and inexpensive solutions (through the use of hedges!) to merge the Garden's old-fashioned Herb Garden with the landscape of our Award-winning, modern Visitor...

He was always so very alive, and a good friend

Love that photo, Alice and Claude. And all you've said about him, Claude and Alice and Judy. Here's another early photo, from Yosemite, maybe. Claude should know.

Dear Valerie and family. We're so glad Brian was our friend. His was a life well-lived. These past years he was like family to us, only more fun at holiday dinners. We always knew time spent with Brian would be a joy. And even now we have the stories of so many adventures and experiences he shared with us....... the Greenland Shark debacle, the Kingston Dutch Reform Church dilemma - FHRITP, the Catalonian Caga Tió, waking to elephants lolling about in the snow in Indianapolis, the...

Oh Val!!! What a man you loved so much!!! What a life he lived!!! Our hearts are broken for you, Brian's family and all who loved him so. You were a remarkable couple. We look forward to helping keep his legacy alive in any manner with you! We love you so and we were delighted you had that handsome, interesting, phenomenal fella by your side! We cannot fill the void, but we sure we can help a bit.