Ronald Carr

Ronald Edward Carr, age 91, died peacefully in New York City on June 8, 2024. In addition to his wife of 67 years, Nancy G. Carr, Ron leaves behind 3 children: Peter (Becky) Carr of Frisco, TX, Jackie Carr of Ridgefield, CT, and Tim (Whitney) Carr of Brooklyn, NY as well as 7 grandchildren (Peter (Ali), Lucy, Hannah, Emmy, Ben, Alex and Cece), great-granddaughter Elena, and his brother Richard (Diana) Carr. Ron was cherished by each member of his family.

Ron grew up in Maplewood, NJ. He graduated from Columbia High School, Princeton University, and Johns Hopkins University before pursuing his studies in ophthalmology at NYU School of Medicine, the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness (NINDB), and the National Institutes of Health. Ron began his teaching career at the NYU Medical Center in 1965, holding the position of Professor of Ophthalmology from 1972 until his retirement in 2014. A pioneer in the use of electrodiagnostic testing for inherited diseases of the eye, he was a scholar of achromatopsia, cone dystrophy, and various retinal diseases and degenerations who presented his work at numerous conferences and was published in many medical journals and books. He was a devoted teacher and mentor to scores of clinical and research fellows and residents. A member and officer of sixteen local and national professional societies, he also served on the editorial boards of three peer-reviewed professional journals for two decades. Ron was an esteemed teacher, scholar, mentor, and surgeon in the field of ophthalmology. A widely admired diagnostician, he was often the ultimate referral for the patients of his peers.

To his friends and family, Ron was the generous host who enjoyed their company for a meal or for a weekend at his homes in New York and Cape Cod. Ron loved international travel, books and movies of all sorts, ballets, symphonies, operas, photography (including many a slideshow), martinis, and strawberry milkshakes. And he faithfully followed his New York sports teams regardless of their successes.

Ron will be missed by family, friends, colleagues. We will miss his companionship, wise counsel, and the humorous observations he delivered with a vocabulary drawn from a refined education enhanced by decades of New York Times crossword puzzles. His diaphragmatic laugh will resonate on East End Avenue and in the hearts of all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his memory to a charity of your choice.