Robert Carr Obituary

Carr III, Robert Franklin 69, a lifetime Chicagoan, business and civic leader died on Sunday, November 22, 2009, from acute viral pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis in Naples, Florida. Mr. Carr was the founder and chairman of the investment advisory firm Fiduciary Management Associates until his retirement in 2006. He launched his career as an officer at the Northern Trust Bank in 1964 after earning his bachelor's degree from Babson College and honorably serving in the U.S. Army. Mr. Carr is the past treasurer of the Murine Company, which was founded by his maternal great-grandfather and ultimately became part of Abbott Laboratories. He headed the consumer products division at Abbott. Mr. Carr entered the field of financial management as a partner at Investment Capital Management in 1972 where he became a leading figure in the management of corporate, government and nonprofit pension plans. He served for many years as a board member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefits. Despite his success in the business world, Mr. Carr found his greatest satisfaction in the philanthropic arena. His contributions were wide-ranging and touched nearly every corner of the Chicago civic community. Mr. Carr served on the boards of Children's Memorial Hospital; Brookfield Zoo; the Better Government Association; Graceland Cemetery; and for many years as the chairman of Grant Hospital where he remained on the board of the Grant Hospital Foundation until his death. In addition, Mr. Carr served as trustee of the Regenstein Foundation; on the advisory board of Northwestern University; and on the boards of the Admiral Retirement Home and the Lake Forest Police Commission. A particular interest of his was wildlife conservation and the natural world. He recently became a trustee of the Everglades Foundation whose mission is the restoration of the Florida Everglades. He raised money for conservation efforts at Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden. He and his wife, Barbara, were the honorary chairs of the Openlands campaign for the restoration of the Lake Shore Preserve at Fort Sheridan. "No project was too large or too small for his involvement," said Rebecca Carr Hedges, his eldest daughter. "He prided himself on never saying "no" to a request for help." Born on July 29, 1940, to Vesta Culbertson Carr and Robert Franklin Carr Jr. Mr. Carr grew up in Lake Forest. He lived there until making Hobe Sound his primary residence in 2006. "He was a man of extraordinary generosity who loved meeting people from all walks of life, befriending them and helping them in any way that he could. He had more friends than anyone I know," Hedges said. Mr. Carr is survived by his wife, Barbara Whitney Carr of Hobe Sound, Florida; six children, Rebecca Carr Hedges of Washington, D.C.; Mimi Carr Killoren of Spartanburg, S.C.; Robert F. Carr IV of Lake Bluff; Brooks Phillips of Key West, Fla.; Edward Whitney of Corte Madero, Calif.; and Amanda Zimmer of Larkspur, Calif.; and 11 grandchildren. A funeral service is planned for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15th at Holy Spirit Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago Botanic Garden or the Everglades Foundation. Naples Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery 239-597-3101.