George Richard "Dick" Cartwright passed away at home on Tuesday, August 28, 2017 in Chatham, New York, at the age of 87. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marjorie Weaver Cartwright of Chatham; his siblings: Donald Cartwright and his wife Lu, of New Jersey; Judy Cartwright Souder and her husband, Jim of Virginia; his daughter, Deborah Cartwright Saxe and her husband, Jon Saxe; son, Russell and his wife, Julia; and grandsons, Hunter Cartwright of Bozeman, MT and Marshall Cartwright of Arlington, Virginia. He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Eva Sweet Cartwright of Rutherford, New Jersey. As a young boy, Dick excelled at school and received numerous honors as a champion in the Spelling Bee and as Valedictorian of his high school in Rutherford, NJ. As a member of the school's winning debate team he was seated next to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt at a celebratory dinner and often recounted their conversation. Dick attended Syracuse University where he was a regular guest on the college radio show hosted by radio personality David Senate. He was a proud member of the Lambda Chi fraternity and graduated with a degree in Business Administration and marketing. At Syracuse Dick met and married Marjorie V. Weaver, his college sweetheart. Upon graduation in 1951, he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Germany where Marje soon joined him to live near Munich. Marje and Dick returned to Syracuse where their two children were born. Soon after the family relocated to Columbia County where he joined Columbia Box Board Corporation as Vice President of Marketing. He and his family have resided in Chatham for the past 5 decades. Dick was also a deeply introspective thinker with philosophical and religious roots in the Episcopal Church and Zen Buddhism. He was an occasional contributor to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Chatham Courier column, Man in the Black Hat, authored by the paper's editor and his longtime friend, Albert Callan. Dick was passionate about cooking and music, and played many instruments, including the banjo, harmonica and guitar. He especially enjoyed playing folk and bluegrass music, making numerous recordings with local friends from the 1960s to the present with many of the local personalities and literati who visited or then made Chatham their home. Among these had memorable occasions to play with the Clancy Brothers and Pete Seeger. As an avid trap and skeet shooter, "Dead Eye Dick," as he was affectionately known, was active in Hendrick Hudson Rod and Gun Club and the Old Chatham Hunt Club where he was a perennial winner of the annual Turkey Shoot. A viewing is planned for Saturday, September 2, from 10:00 to 11:00 am at French, Gifford, Preiter and Blasl Funeral Home at 25 Railroad Avenue, Chatham, New York. An 11:30 a.m. service will follow at Saint Paul's Church located at 6 Sylvester Street in Kinderhook, New York, and burial at Old Chatham Union Cemetery on Shaker Museum Road. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Tri-Village Fire Department (111 CR 13 Old Chatham, NY 12136) or Chatham Rescue Squad (Post Office Box 587, Ghent, NY 12075). Thanks to these caring volunteers who give much in service to our community. For directions or to convey a condolence visit frenchblasl.com