MR’S FIRST WEB EDITOR, ARNOLD J. KARR, HAS DIED
Arnold J. Karr, MR Magazine’s first web editor who helped launch then MRketplace.com in 2006, died on Friday, November 6 from liver cancer. He was 62. Funeral services were held Sunday in Rockville Centre, N.Y.
A graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University, Karr began his career at MAN magazine in California, and later served as a public relation consultant at Bugle Boy Industries. Karr was most recently senior financial editor at Women’s Wear Daily, and spent 40 years at Fairchild Publications, including a stint as executive editor of WWD’s brother publication, DNR. During his off time, Karr taught journalism for more than 25 years at FIT, proudly helping to mold the next generation of reporters and editors.
“Arnie Karr had an incomparable wealth of knowledge about the men’s business, with more industry contacts and friends than anyone I know. He grew up in menswear, as his father was the legendary Norman Karr of the Men’s Fashion Association, but Arnie quickly established his own impressive credentials,” says MR publisher emeritus, Stu Nifoussi. “He was a superb and probing reporter, talented musician and rock trivia expert, and most of all, the guy that everyone knew and loved. He was smart, funny, highly skilled and someone I will really miss. We were lucky to have him at MR for a short time, where he was our first web editor and launched our daily MR Update back in 2006. However, he has been my friend for over 25 years. Our hearts go out to his wife Rhea, son Daniel and his mom Selma who have suffered an irreplaceable loss and to his colleagues at WWD and across the men’s business where his smiling face and enormous talent will be sorely missed.”
“I will never forget Arnie’s genuine warmth, his intelligence and insights, his sense of humor, his love of family, his passion for music, his brilliant writing talent, and his overall love for life! The world is a good deal emptier without Arnie Karr,” says MR editor in chief, Karen Alberg Grossman.
“Arnie was one of the most knowledgeable – and helpful – people about finance I’ve worked with,” says MR managing editor Brian Scott Lipton, who worked with Karr at Fairchild. “He will be missed by everyone who knew him.”
Karr is survived by his wife, Rhea; a son, Daniel; his mother, Selma, and a sister, Joanne Skop.
Our industry lost a vital voice and I lost a dear friend. Arnie was simply one of the best human beings who ever lived and a great journalist. i am lucky and proud to have known him.
Arnie was a good man; eloquent, knowledgeable, insightful and kind. He will be missed.