Preston C. Carlisle

Preston C. Carlisle died peacefully at his home in Ogdensburg, surrounded by his family, on 3 October 2026. He was 96. No cause of death was made public. His obituary, submitted by the funeral home, was published by WWNY TV and the Watertown Daily Times website nny360.com on 6 October.

His family quoted his favourite song in farewell: "so long it's been good to know you, but I've got to be moving along." A Celebration of Life was scheduled for 30 October 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Boys and Girls Club in Ogdensburg. In lieu of flowers the family asked for donations to Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley or the Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club.

Preston C. Carlisle was born on 6 September 1930, the son of Richard W. and Margaret B. Carlisle. He had a brother, Richard S. Carlisle, and a sister, Elizabeth C. Rogers.

He attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, Fordham University in New York City and Iona College in New Rochelle as an undergraduate. He then served four years in the US Army, stationed in Washington, D.C., during the Korean War era. According to SUNY Potsdam, he worked at what is now Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. During his service he attended law school at American University's Washington College of Law, graduating in 1958 and being admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

Carlisle was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1961, and in 1962 he established his law firm in the historic Preston King Building in Ogdensburg. Over a career of nearly 60 years he built the Carlisle Law Firm into one of the most prominent practices in the North Country, concentrating on negligence actions, medical malpractice, wrongful death, workers' compensation, real estate and estate planning.

Alongside his private practice he became Corporation Counsel for the City of Ogdensburg in 1963. From 1967 to 1975 he served as First Assistant District Attorney of St. Lawrence County, before leaving the office to concentrate on his own firm, which his son William W. Carlisle later joined. He was also counsel for the Lisbon school district and an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, and was named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in New York State in 2007.

Carlisle was married to Joan (nee Goodson) for 69 years. They had three children: Rick, of Indianapolis, the longtime NBA player and head coach; Bill, of Nicholville; and Kari McCarty, also of Nicholville. The family grew to 19 grandchildren, two of them Catholic priests and one a religious sister, and 24 great-grandchildren.

He enjoyed golf, bridge and basketball, and his family recalled that he entertained his grandchildren with captivating stories and songs. He was active in the Kiwanis Club of Ogdensburg, serving as its president, and sat on the board of the Canton College Foundation.

Carlisle's long involvement with the Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club began as a board member in the early 1970s, when he was one of the driving forces behind building the club's home on Patterson Street in 1975. In September 2020, the day before his 90th birthday, Rick Carlisle announced a major family donation to build a new gymnasium at the club in his father's honor, saying it would be "an enduring symbol of his life's work and passion." The Preston C. Carlisle Youth Athletic Center was dedicated in June 2022.

He was inducted into the SUNY Canton Hall of Fame in 2017, and in May 2018 SUNY Potsdam presented him with its Leadership Through Service Award, one of the college's highest honors, for his commitment to the betterment of the North Country.