Obituary of Barry Caskey

Barry H. Caskey, a longtime Princeton resident and faithful Princetonian, class of 1957, died on Friday in Princeton Hospital of congestive heart failure. He was 78. Barry was a devoted husband of Carol Kirvan Caskey for 46 years, a proud father of 4, and a delighted grandfather of 7. He lived and worked as an advertising executive in New York City at agencies including Benton and Bowles, Wells, Rich, Greene, and Norman Craig & Kummel. Barry and Carol returned to live in Princeton in 1965, and Barry made his professional return to the Princeton area shortly thereafter with Gillespie Advertising in West Windsor, where he worked for over 20 years, retiring as a Management Supervisor in the late 1990s. Barry was born November 30, 1935 in Philadelphia, the son of Benjamin R. Caskey and Muriel Hickman, and remained a loyal Philadelphia sports fan throughout his life. He graduated from the Haverford School in 1953, and went on to Princeton University where he graduated Cum Laude, played basketball and was a member of Dial Lodge. A life-long devotee of the arts, Barry graduated with a BA in art history and wrote his senior thesis on the work of Gaston Lachaise. Barry married Carol Kirvan in October of 1961, and was happily married until her death in 2008. Barry and Carol raised their four children, Diana, Dallas, Julie and Dan in Princeton. An active and devoted Princeton alumnus, Barry served as Class President from 1972-1977 and Chair of the 15th Reunion in 1972. He received the Class Service Award at his 50th reunion in 2007. He also served on the boards of the Princeton Art Museum and the Rock Brook School in Skillman, NJ. A proud father and thoughtful and devoted grandfather, he is survived by his four children and by his seven grandchildren - Sierra, Liam, Calla, Stella, Jonas, Jasper and Nola. A service of remembrance will be held this Saturday in Princeton at the Mather Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave. at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in his name to the Princeton University Art Museum.