Moses Francis Carr Jr.

Moses F. (Peter) Carr, Jr., 95, of Cohasset, Massachusetts, and Pike, NH, passed away on November 15 in Hingham, Mass.

A lifetime metropolitan Boston resident, Peter (as he was known to friends and family) attended Belmont Hill School and graduated from Harvard University (class of 1949), where he studied English and by his own admission played a lot of pinball.  His college years were interrupted by a stint in the Navy.

While he was still in his twenties, he and his oldest brother, Sam, founded their own printing business. Later on, while working at Allyn and Bacon, he met Lee Payne, from Allendale, Illinois, and they married in 1954.

After settling in Hingham, Mass., Peter and Lee raised four children on Cottage Street. After Lee died in 1992, Peter moved to Cohasset.

He spent most of his publishing career working as a book designer and later as head of trade manufacturing at Little, Brown and Company on Beacon Hill. After leaving Little, Brown he worked briefly for Atlantic Books. He developed decades-long friendships with colleagues at Little, Brown as well as with representatives from companies selling pre-press services, paper, cloth, and printing and binding. He worked on books of photography by Ansel Adams and various New York Graphic Society titles, as well as books by Herman Wouk, William Manchester, and Nikita Khrushchev. He was a long-time member of Bookbuilders of Boston.

Classical music was a key part of his life, dating back to when his father took him to Boston Symphony concerts at Harvard’s Sanders Theater in the 1930s. He taught himself to play the piano and loved opera as well.   

The peace and quiet of the outdoors were important to him. He owned property in Pike, NH, on the western edge of the White Mountains, where he taught his children to appreciate hiking, skiing, and canoeing. 

Peter was predeceased by his parents, Moses and Helen; his wife, Irmalee (Lee) Payne Carr; and his brothers, Samuel and Frederick. He is survived by his sister, Cynthia Rodman of Hingham; his daughters, Bridget P. Carr of Milton, Mass., (Helen) Maggie Carr of Glencliff, NH, and Sarah Lee Carr of Pembroke, Mass.; his son, Moses (also known as Peter) Carr of Waltham, Mass.; and his grandchildren, Rose Carr Moerschel, Lily Carr Moerschel, Naomi Louise Carr, and Owen Gabriel Baldwin Carr. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on December 18 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 172 Main Street in Hingham, Mass.  All attendees will be required to wear a mask.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorial donations be made in Peter's name to New England Village, www.newenglandvillage.org

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