Dr. Kenneth Cartwright

Dr. Kenneth Cartwright passed away on November 1, 2020 at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, NY at the age of 85. He was predeceased, by his beloved wife, Ann Lillian Cartwright, who passed earlier this year. He was born in Shotton, Wales on March 15th, 1935. His parents were Joseph and Elizabeth (Hewitt) and stepmother Mary.

Ken is survived by seven children - son Mark Cartwright and wife Karen Eldridge of West Newton, Massachusetts; daughter Helen Evans and husband Thomas Evans of Ithaca, New York, who are caring for his cherished dog, Jemmy; son Timothy Cartwright and wife Melissa Cartwright (Mendoza) of Apex, North Carolina; daughter Sarah Cartwright of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; son Jonathan Cartwright and wife Valerie Cartwright (Upchurch) of Walden, New York; son David Cartwright and wife Alyssa Cartwright (Mericle) of Williamstown, New Jersey; and son Andrew Cartwright and wife Ashlee Cartwright (Keough) of Pine Island, New York. He leaves behind thirteen grandchildren who brought him so much joy - David, Jack, Christopher, Aidan, Nicolette, Trevor, Gavin, Nalin, Kian, Sathya, Desmond, Colbie, and Rhys. Another grandson is expected in early 2021.

Ken will be missed by his sisters, Judith Cartwright and Katherine Jones of Wales, and many nieces and nephews in England and Wales. He was predeceased by sisters Beryl West and Eileen Norman, and brothers-in-law Peter Jones, Arthur West, and Bill Norman. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Margaret Taylor of BC, Canada.

Choosing to pursue medicine at Liverpool University over physics at Oxford University, Ken received an M.B.Ch.B. and D.P.H. from Liverpool University in 1959 and 1963 respectively. He received his D.P.M. at Wessex Regional Post-Graduate School of Psychiatry. He was a Fellow of Faculty of Community Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London. He also was an Examiner and Lecturer at St. John’s Ambulance Society. In addition to excelling academically, Ken was also an athlete, playing rugby at university.

Ken and Ann met while working together at Liverpool University Medical Center. They married in North Wales on December 30th, 1961, living in several locations including Liverpool, Wellington, Southampton, and Orston near Sherwood forest in England before moving to Hudson, Quebec, Canada in 1974 with their first five children. They had two more children while living in Hudson and in 1982, Ann and Ken moved their family to Blooming Grove, New York where they spent many happy years living in an old farm house that became a treasured gathering place for the family. Their last move brought them to Milford, Pennsylvania. They embraced each country in which they lived, being British and proudly becoming both Canadian and US citizens.

Ken had an esteemed career. Practicing medicine in England as a general practitioner, he made house calls before specializing in Psychiatry, which ultimately led to a career in the pharmaceutical industry. In Canada he directed clinical trials of multiple drugs at Ciba Geigy. He was then enticed by Lederle Labs to relocate to the United States in 1982 and continued working on new drug trials globally. He played a vital role in the successful advancement of several key drugs, including a beta blocker that his wife Ann would end up being prescribed.

He enjoyed sports all his life, particularly rugby, cricket, soccer, squash, golf, and tennis. Ken was an avid vegetable gardener and was very proud of his amazing tomatoes. He also dabbled in maple syrup production in Canada, tapping his own maple trees and boiling the sap down to syrup in the backyard.

Ken, also known as “Dr. C,” and “The Chairman,” was the most kindhearted soul who made time to speak to anyone he encountered - it didn’t matter a person’s station in life. He had a grace and gentleness about him that will be fondly remembered by anyone who met him. Ken’s smile could light up a room and his warm laugh made anyone who heard it feel just as jolly. Ken’s Catholic faith was important to him all his life and gave him strength and comfort during difficult and uncertain times.

The most important titles Ken had during his life were “Husband,” “Dad” and “Grandad.”  He was a true family man who did all he could to make his wife, children, and grandchildren happy. Despite a busy career, he always made time to attend his children’s sporting and school events (albeit a few minutes late). Ken’s children will fondly remember the treats he would bring back from his business trips and his singing Welsh tunes around the house. They will also remember having to decipher what their dad said to their friends, as Ken never quite lost his accent. His grandkids loved their Grandad and appreciated the effort he made to spend one-on-one time with all of them. He had a magic touch and could whisk away a fussy baby and bring it back with a giant smile on its face.

The Cartwright Family would like to extend a special thanks to Stephanie for her kind and gentle care of Ken.

Arrangements are under the care of Bangs Funeral Home in Ithaca, New York. For online condolences, please go to https://www.bangsfuneralhome.com/obituary/dr-kenneth-cartwright .

Due to the current health crisis, a service will be held in the Spring of 2021 to celebrate both Ken and Ann’s lives.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimers Foundation of America ( https://alzfdn.org ).