Obituary of William Christopher Gorman
William Christopher “Chris” Gorman was born in Providence, R.I. in May of 1937 to parents Francis Edward, a Sergeant in the Providence Police Department, and Ida (nee Lipnicki), a career nurse. Chris enjoyed a happy childhood with his brother Jack, fondly recalling their summers in Ida’s hometown of Springfield, VT, where he developed a deep love of nature.
Chris graduated from LaSalle Academy in 1955 and went on to attend the Rhode Island School of Design where earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree, with honors, and received several awards for his design work, including a national design competition for the Hanley Beer company, vaulting him into a career in graphic design.
His trajectory took him to New York in 1959 where he worked as a graphic designer for Merck, as well as Bowne & Company, before taking the bold step to start his own firm, Chris Gorman Associates, in 1968. Over the next five decades, the firm received awards from top graphic design organizations, including the Art Directors Club, Graphis and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. His clients included ING, Equitable Real Estate, CBS, IBM, Group W, American Business Press and countless others.
Apart from his commercial enterprises, Chris designed posters, ads and other political material for a number of Irish-American organizations working towards a united Ireland. Many of these works are archived in the Library of Congress.
Chris met the love of his life Bridget (nee Higgins) in 1972 and they were married in her home parish of Aughagower, County Mayo, Ireland in 1974. They enjoyed over 50 years of marriage while residing in Larchmont, New York, where they raised their two children Maura and Michael. As a family they enjoyed summers spent at the Larchmont Shore Club, vacations to various lake resorts in New England, and years attending swim meets across the northeast. In his later years, Chris’ greatest joy was being Grandpa to James and Macklin.
Chris was a swimmer, tennis player, avid reader, great debater, history buff and a lifelong fan of Notre Dame football. He served on the board of the Thomas Paine National Historical Society and served as President of the Larchmont chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He and Bridget enjoyed traveling and visited many historic sites in the U.S. and abroad.
He is survived by his wife Bridget, their daughter Maura (Moray), their son Michael (Katelin), and grandsons James Gorman and Macklin Newton. He will be remembered as a devoted husband and father, and a man of unwavering integrity.
Chris' family will receive friends on March 13, 2025, from 4:00PM until 8:00PM at the John J. Fox Funeral Home, Inc. 2080 Boston Post Road Larchmont, NY 10538
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated for Chris on March 14, 2025, at 10:30 AM at St. Augustine Church 18 Cherry Ave. Larchmont, NY 10538
Interment will be private.