Anthony Carrigan; actor proud of British roots

Some may recognize his refined British accent from voice overs for training films, educational documentaries, or advertisements. Others may remember Tony Carrigan as Scrooge in the New Repertory Theatre's production of "A Christmas Carol," or as Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" at People's Theatre in Cambridge.

Most knew him as a gentleman and a proud Englishman, especially through his service with the British Officers' Club of New England .

"He was very proud to be a Brit, but also to be an American," said Alfred Kohnle , treasurer of the British Officers' Club in Boston.

R. Anthony Carrigan of Winchester died April 4 at his home after a three-year battle with lung cancer. He was 73 .

Born in Norton-on-Tees in the northeastern part of England, Mr. Carrigan attended Grangefield Grammar School and studied business at Stockton-on-Tees Sixth Form College. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1952 and was assigned to the Habbaniya station in Iraq until 1954, his family said.

He immigrated to the United States in 1961 and lived in Wisconsin, where he worked for Banta Integrated Media Inc. until 1971, when he was transferred to the company's Cambridge office and moved to Winchester.

At Banta, a printing company for educational books, media, and software, Mr. Carrigan worked as a sales representative, was promoted to New England regional sales manager and in 1977, was appointed regional vice president. He retired in 1991.

Mr. Carrigan did theater work for nearly 60 years and performed in more than 100 plays, his family said. As a child, he sang in the church choir and performed with the Operatic Society in Stockton-on-Tees. In New England, he performed with the Concord Players, People's Theatre in Cambridge, Arlington Friends of the Drama, and the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown.

His roles included Andrew Wyke in "Sleuth," George in "And a Nightingale Sang," and Professor Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady."

"He was an incredibly interesting guy, and he brought such a wealth of life experience to his roles in the theater," said Rick Lombardo, artistic director of the New Repertory Theater, where Mr. Carrigan played Scrooge for five years and the governor in "The Scarlet Letter." "He was such a remarkable gentleman in the theater, and he brought class and dignity to everything that he did."

Mr. Carrigan was also a dialect coach at Winchester Cooperative Theatre for Children for productions of "Oliver" and "Mary Poppins."

"He just enjoyed performing as a young child, and continued to stay involved in the theater," said his wife, Jan (Kenney). "He liked performing in regional theater. He was very often recruited for parts, and he didn't have to show up and audition. People would just hear about him and call."

In addition to acting, Mr. Carrigan did commercial and film voiceover work, including the voice of Sir Ernest Shackleton for a National Geographic program, a Federal Express training video, and a minister in a film about the early life of Mary Baker Eddy at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston. He captured his widest audience when he appeared in a 2003 Super Bowl ad for W.B. Mason.

Larry Mondi, of Larry Mondi Productions based in Boston, used Mr. Carrigan's voice for educational documentaries of the Revolutionary War, mostly for the voices of British generals.

"He was a charming guy -- like a character out of a book," Mondi said.

Mr. Carrigan was a longtime member of the British Officers' Club of New England, serving as the organization's honorary secretary, and was made warden in 2006, the highest honor of the club.

His involvement included promoting and organizing functions such as events for Armistice Day, and acting as a liaison between Boston and his homeland. On behalf of the British Consulate-General in Boston, Mr. Carrigan regularly visited and fixed flags at historical burial sites of known British servicemen. He also helped families in England locate the graves of their relatives in the Boston area.

"He really acted as a bridge between the two communities," said Joseph Pickerill of Boston's British Consulate-General, who worked closely with Mr. Carrigan to organize remembrance services and benefit dinners. "He was always very poised, and always very ready to commit himself to British officers and the community. He was a true old-fashioned gentleman and an officer."

"He was probably the most loyal of all of our members, as far as the amount of time he put into it," said Kohnle.

Mr. Carrigan was a reader and an usher during Remembrance Day services at Old North Church in Boston, and coordinated fund-raisers for the Battle of Britain Memorial Fund and the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League . On occasion, he stood in as a Beefeater for local English festivals.

"He was very proud, very proud," said Mr. Carrigan's wife. "He was so honored and felt that by doing all of these things, he was doing so much for his queen and his country."

He was a former member of the Winchester Tennis Association and a longstanding member of the Winchester Boat Club. He enjoyed fly-fishing and surf casting, and in his younger years played tennis, rugby, and ran cross-country.

In recent years, his family said, he had resumed playing cricket, and kept scores for the British Officers' Club and the Oxford and Cambridge Society.

He enjoyed cooking traditional British dishes, including scones, roast beef, and Yorkshire pudding.

In addition to his wife, he leaves a son, Anthony of Brooklyn, N.Y.; two daughters, Ashley Carrigan King of Andover and Deirdre of New York; a sister, Marjorie Griffith of Matlock, England; and a grandson. From a previous marriage, he leaves three sons, Michael of Plaistow, N.H., David of Tewksbury, and Timothy of Peabody; a daughter, Liza of Virginia; four grandsons; and four granddaughters.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. in Old North Church in Boston.