William Ward Carey, an investment banker who lived on Dunemere Lane in East Hampton Village for many years, died on Saturday at the Landing at Laurel Lake, an assisted living facility in Lee, Mass. He was 85 and had Parkinson’s disease.
Mr. Carey was a gracious, generous, elegant, and humble man who cared deeply about others and made everyone feel welcome in his home, his family wrote. His summer weekends were filled with golf and tennis at the Maidstone Club, where he was a governor and served on numerous committees over the years.
He was born on Nov. 25, 1937, in New York City to John P. Carey and the former Kathryn Ward. The youngest of four children, he grew up there, graduating from St. Bernard’s School and the Browning School before going on to Iona College in New Rochelle. After graduating, he chose not to join his family’s business, Carey Transportation. Instead, he went to Wall Street, first working at Shields & Company. He would go on to hold senior positions at Blyth, Eastman Dillon & Co., Tucker Anthony, and PaineWebber & Co.
He and Patricia McDermott were married on Aug. 29, 1960. They were married for 53 years, until Mrs. Carey’s death in 2013. Mr. Carey was passionate about his career, his family said, but his true love and devotion were to his wife and their five children.
An early devotee of jogging, he was regularly seen running through Central Park in Manhattan and in East Hampton Village. He was an enthusiastic traveler, visiting Europe with his wife and friends, and Eleuthera, in the Bahamas, with his family. But above all, he enjoyed being at home in East Hampton surrounded by his wife, their children, their grandchildren, and their many friends, whom he would welcome with open arms and plenty of food and drinks, his family said.
For many years he served as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and he was a member of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church here. He was an optimist who mentored many associates and friends, reminding them and others of his belief that “99 percent of the world is honest.”
Mr. Carey is survived by his children, Ann Carey Diaz of Madrid, Ward Carey Jr. of San Francisco, Alex Carey of Amagansett, Daphne Carey Jarrett of New York City, and Cynthia Carey of Lenox, Mass. He leaves 16 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on June 29 at 10 a.m. at Most Holy Trinity Church.
