Richard Anthony Carroll, D.D.S., a North Syracuse native, fly-fisherman, community volunteer and lover of all things Irish, passed away on April 6, 2024, at his home in McMurray, PA. He was 75. Dick and his beloved wife of 50 years, Nancy Jo McGuire Carroll, lived in Chittenango until 2015 when they moved to the Pittsburgh area.
Dick graduated from North Syracuse High School in 1967, Duquesne University in 1972, and SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in 1976. His undergraduate degree in pharmacology helped him work his way through dental school. He began his dental career at Augusta, Maine, moved to Michigan, and came home to Central New York to establish his own practice in 1983 in Chittenango. Nancy was his front-office manager for decades.
Together, Dick and Nancy built a wonderful life, raised three successful children, and served varied roles in their church and community. Dick taught his son, Rich, his true passion of fly-fishing, and he coached travel soccer teams for his daughters Heather and Katie.
Dick founded and ran an annual fly-fishing apprentice program for decades, taught classes in tying flies, and showed dozens of people the joy of fishing. He was a member of Madison County Trout Unlimited Chapter 680, and his expertise in tying flies was nationally recognized. He fished in the U.S. from the coast of Massachusetts to streams in Montana and from Canada to Costa Rica.
Beyond his passion for fishing, his interests ranged widely in the sciences, history, the outdoors, and current events. He enjoyed telling stories and talking about his interests, a trait that put his dental patients at ease.
Dick and Nancy made friends wherever they went. They loved hosting friends and family at their annual Christmas party and, of course, for their epic St. Patrick’s Day dinners. Dick and Nancy were members of the Chittenango Rod & Gun Club, where Nancy’s baked goods were legendary. The Carroll family hosted foreign-exchange students and enjoyed visiting them afterward in their home countries. In May 1987, voters elected Dick to the Chittenango Central School Board of Education to finish a board member’s term. Voters re-elected him to four more full terms, and he served until June 30, 2000. He also served on the board of the Sullivan Community Council, and he coached teams in softball, travel and indoor soccer, and Chittenango’s first travel lacrosse team.
In 1998, Dick was inducted onto the North Syracuse Central School District Wall of Distinction. In a newspaper interview about the induction, he said if he wrote a book the dedication would say: To my wife, Nancy, for putting up with me.
Dick died from the effects of progressive supranuclear palsy, diagnosed in 2018. He was predeceased by his parents, John C. and Rita (Langenmayr) Carroll of North Syracuse. He is survived by his wife Nancy; daughters Heather Carroll Carrington of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Dr. Kathleen Carroll Castrodale (Alex) of Pittsburgh; son Richard (Natalie) of Leesburg, Va.; four grandchildren, Anelise Lila and Eamon Alexander Castrodale and Griffin Daniel and Victor Brian Carrington; two brothers, John (Laura) of East Syracuse and Tom (Marianne) of Farmington; a sister, Sue Carroll Linhorst (Stan) of Manlius; eight beloved nieces and nephews; and a host of dear friends.
Dick was a communicant of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Chittenango and St. Benedict the Abbot Church, McMurray, Pa. A requiem mass will be celebrated at St. Benedict the Abbot, 120 Abington Dr., McMurray, PA on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. A celebration of life for Dick will be held later in the Syracuse area. Dick will be interred with his parents at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Minoa, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation at http://t2t.org.
