Owenton News-Herald---February 4, 2004

Granville Carey was a noted local architect

His children don't have to go to the cemetery to see monuments that commemorate the life of Granville O. Carey.

The Florence resident, who died Jan. 21 at age 80, was a retired self-employed architect who designed dozens of churches, retirement homes, hospitals and schools.

Mr. Carey designed Lakeside Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and where all six of his children were married, said a son, Marcus Carey of Poplar Grove.

He also designed Florence Baptist Church, the Boone County Cooperative Extension Service building in Burlington, the Tri-City YMCA in Florence, several Erlanger school buildings and the old Covington Catholic High School.

He also helped design the original layout for Northern Kentucky University.

"His reputation as an architect was as a perfectionist," Marcus Carey said. "If he built something, he built it to last forever."

When he was 70, Mr. Carey learned how to use a computer and do computer-aided design.

He was an avid birdwatcher, and a member of the Cincinnati Bird Club. He designed, built and set up nesting boxes for eastern bluebirds on the Fox Run Golf Course.

He and his late wife, Shirley, had enjoyed watching the birds nest in the trees there before the golf course was built. The endangered species was his favorite bird.

Mr. Carey was also involved in local politics.

He was a former Edgewood City Council member and member of the Kenton County Republican Party executive committee. The Army Air Corps veteran also served on the Selective Service board during the Vietnam War.

A very well-read person, he had tremendous curiosity about the world. "He could talk about things on a variety of topics, from space exploration to diesel mechanics," his son said.

He also had an offbeat sense of humor. He was fond of making jokes with waitresses in restaurants. When the waitress would hand him the check, he would frequently point to some strangers and say, "Those people over there will pay for it," said his son.

Survivors include, in addition to his son, daughters, Christy Boone of Loveland, Ohio, Pam Durstock of Burlington and Patti Ramsey of Union; sons, Matthew Carey of Edgewood and Martin Carey of Burlington; a sister, Minnie Connley of Bradenton, Fla.; and 14 grandchildren.

Services were held Jan. 24 at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial followed in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to the National Audubon Society, 3398 W. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati 45239.