Donald H. McVay

Captain Donald H. McVay

USN (Ret) Captain Donald H. McVay, USN (Ret) of Dumfries, VA died February 9, 2012. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1930.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Joyce of 58 years, his daughters Mary Kathleen Savard and Cynthia Lynn Devoe, and his sons Craig, Kevin, Jeffrey and Christopher. He is also survived by his sister Ruth Beik of State College, PA and by 11 grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

Captain McVay was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1953. Upon completion of flight training, he reported to VP-23 in Brunswick, ME. While in VP-23, he participated in deployments to Keflavik, Iceland and Malta. In 1957, he reported to U.S. Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey and subsequently completed his Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Michigan in 1960. He returned to Brunswick to VP-10 and participated in deployments to Keflavik and Argentia, Newfoundland. He next served on USS Enterprise as Assistant Combat Information Center Officer through 1964. During this period Enterprise participated in operation Sea Orbit with USS Long Beach and USS Bainbridge which circumnavigated the globe without refueling. He then reported to Naval Air Test Center Patuxent River, MD for three years. In 1968, he was assigned as Executive Officer of VP-8, a P-3 Orion squadron and in 1969 he assumed command of VP-8. This was followed by an assignment as Navigator on USS America. After a three year tour on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., he reported as Chief of Staff, USCOMSOLANT, in Puerto Rico where he took part in three UNITAS cruises around South America. He completed his Navy career as the Logistics Division Director in the Naval Air Systems Command and retired in 1980. Since retirement he worked as a consultant in the Washington, DC area on Naval Aviation programs including the F/A-18 and the LAMPS Mark III program. After retirement he remained active in USNA Class of '53 activities and enjoyed travel, golf, and bridge, as well as time spent with his dear wife, Joyce and his family.

Visitation will be held on Monday, February 13 from 3

6 p.m. at Mountcastle Turch Funeral Home, 4143 Dale Blvd., Dale City, VA 22193. Requiem Mass will be said at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2011 at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 18825 Fuller Heights Road, Triangle, VA 22173, followed by interment in Quantico National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Capital Caring Hospice at 10530 Linden Lake Plaza, Suite 200, Manassas, VA 20109 or a charity of choice.

Mountcastle Turch Life Celebration Home is

handling the arrangements. www.mountcastle.net



This obituary was originally published in the News & Messenger (Woodbridge, VA).