Darrell P. McCrory

June 21, 1922 - June 2, 2013
Founding Partner, Monteleone and McCrory, LLP Darrell P. McCrory passed away on June 2, 2013, nineteen days shy of his 91st birthday after living a full and exemplary life that included courageous service in the U.S. Army during World War II, an outstanding career as a lawyer and a loving, caring relationship with his family and friends. The son of Raymond John McCrory and Mabel Packard McCrory, Darrell was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 21, 1922. He graduated from high school in 1939 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for two years. Darrell enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 3, 1942, with a strong commitment to serve his country during World War II. He was commissioned in September 1942 and served as an Anti-Aircraft and Infantry Officer for 26 months in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, participating in the beachhead landings in Sicily and Anzio, Italy. He was awarded the Silver Star in the fall of 1944. During an offensive to capture Mount Cauala, Italy, when there was an urgent need for information regarding the location and strength of enemy positions, Darrell volunteered to take a patrol behind German lines to collect needed information and, if possible, return with a German prisoner. Because the patrol's presence was detected by the German army, it was necessary to remain behind enemy lines for eight days, eluding capture and collecting information under very challenging conditions. The patrol returned to U.S. lines with no casualties, vital information and a German prisoner. Darrell received the Silver Star for his courage, intelligence and leadership that prevented the patrol's capture and enabled the collection of "exceptionally important information" to support the offensive. After the war ended, Darrell completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a Major in Economics and a Minor in Political Science, and moved to California to attend Stanford Law School. Following graduation from law school in 1949, he was hired by the Los Angeles City Attorney's office where he represented the Department of Water & Power. During the 1950s he represented the Department in defense of a large claim made by a contractor who had constructed part of the project that diverted water from the Owens River in the Eastern Sierras and transported it by aqueduct to the San Fernando Valley in northern Los Angeles. The contractor was represented by Stephen Monteleone, who had been practicing law in Southern California since 1909. The case settled, but Monteleone was so impressed by the young lawyer who had opposed him that he offered to form a partnership with Darrell, and in 1958 the law firm of Monteleone & McCrory was born. The firm was a success from the start and steadily grew, with headquarters in downtown Los Angeles and an office in Santa Ana. Darrell represented contractors in many major public works projects in the ensuing years, including: the Atlas and Minuteman missile silos constructed during the Cold War years; the Feather River project, a system of dams, tunnels and canals that transported water from northern to southern California; the BART system in the Bay Area and the WMATA system in Washington, D.C.; the Federal Highway program that built Interstate 5 in California, Oregon and Washington; the Federal Clean Water Program that built tunnels to improve water quality in cities bordering the Great Lakes; the system of dams and tunnels built by the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior throughout the western states, and other construction projects too numerous to mention. Over his career, he received prestigious awards for excellence in service to the construction industry. He led the management of Monteleone and McCrory until he retired in 1991 and is remembered fondly and with great respect by everyone in the firm. He was affectionately called "Chief" and, more often, "Mac." Under his guidance Monteleone and McCrory thrived and emerged as one of the premiere advocates of the California construction industry. His honesty and morality set the standard for the firm and, as noted in a plaque presented at his retirement, helped make it a place "where we can all be the best attorneys possible." Mac was committed to the welfare of his numerous clients, but he also took the time to look after the welfare of the firm and its employees. He cared deeply for the people he worked with, had a gift for recognizing value in people and used that talent to guide and develop successful careers. He also created a pleasant work atmosphere for everyone. His infectious laughter frequently could be heard in the hallways of the office. Mac retired with a reputation befitting only the most effective and influential members of the legal profession. Darrell was devoted to his family. He especially enjoyed cruises on the family yacht, deep sea fishing and water sports with his wife Helen Maynard McCrory, whom he married in 1956, and their son, Stephen. After retirement, he traveled abroad to encounter new experiences. Darrell was laid to rest at the Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery beside Helen and Stephen, who both predeceased him. He is survived by a sister, Marilyn McCrory Dawson, Atlanta, GA, and a brother, John P. McCrory, Santa Monica, CA.