The Ballston community is mourning a man who spent the better part of his life providing the town with an unofficial community hub.
Robert Alan Carney of Ballston Lake died on Wednesday, Feb. 22,after a short illness.
Born in 1940 in East Meadow, Long Island, he worked for General Electric until 1983. In 1981, he and his wife Rosemary opened Carney’s Tavern, his labor of love that has come to be a popular gathering place and restaurant for the community.
Carney was also the current president and a longtime member of the Saratoga, Schenectady and Warren County Restaurant and Tavern Association. He is remembered fondly among family, friends and the community of Ballston Lake.
His wife Rosemary said of him, “He lived life one day at a time.”
“He was short and they would call him the leprechaun, he marched to his own drummer. He connected with a lot of people, and I’m finding out just how many people loved him this week,” she continued.
The Carneys took many trips through the years and one quite memorable to Rosemary was about 10 years ago when the couple went to Europe.
“We were in Paris, and then we went to Germany and Morocco. When we got to Venice somebody from the hotel where we were staying informed us that the travel agency we used had gone out of business. We had no vouchers and had to rebook our flights. At the railroad station in Rome, our train was canceled and in Florence there were no lights in the whole city,” she said, noting that through it all, Bob kept a sense of humor.
The tavern was a labor of love for both of them, and Rosemary said Bob built it to be a place for teachers, firemen, the soccer club and many more. It is in an historic building on Main Street that has decades of history as a hotel and bar — its historical claim to fame is a stopover by Theodore Roosevelt on his return to Washington following President William McKinley’s assassination.
Nigar Hale knew Carney for over twenty years, having frequented the tavern and getting to know the man so many have come to admire, herself included.
“I love Carneys, it’s the kind of place that has that ‘where everyone knows your name’ atmosphere, no matter what time of year,” said Hale.
One of the best things about Carney’s according to Hale (and not disputed by many) is the mahogany bar.
“Other places have tried to replicate it, but nobody has done it justice,” she said.
In 2008, Carney’s faced closure notices from the state because of septic issues, and Hale recalls that after that it seemed that Carney tried earnestly to keep the place going. Then a dear friend of his passed away, bartender Danny Ward.
“When Dan died, something went out of him, but he carried on,”she said. “We’re all going to miss him.”
Richard Doyle, president of the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Business and Professional Association, knew Carney for several years and emphasized both Bob and Rosemary’s commitment to community.
“It was always Bob’s desire to give back to the community, period. I talk with a lot of people and they always want to know what they can get from something. Not Bob or Rosemary. Bob always said that if something was good for the community, he’d do whatever it was. He really liked people and being part of the community,” Doyle said.
“Carney’s is our Cheers in the hamlet, and Bob knew that,” Doyle said, echoing a sentiment held by many.
Every year in August, Ward and Carney would take a bicycle trip to Lake George to celebrate their birthdays, which were one day apart.
“Now they’re doing their bike rides together again,” said Rosemary.
