Philip Francis ""Phil"" McCarthy

Richmond Hill
Philip "Phil" Francis McCarthy, 72, formerly of Springfield, Mass., passed away Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014, at St. Joseph/Candler Hospital in Savannah surrounded by his family.
Mr. McCarthy was born Oct. 16, 1941, in Springfield, Mass, to the late Catherine (Donohue) and Francis E.J. McCarthy. He was educated at Holy Family Grammar School in Springfield and St. Francis de Sales Academy in Bennington, Vt., and was a 1959 graduate of Cathedral High School and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. Upon joining the Air Force, he had various assignments stateside, in Okinawa and Thailand. In 1966, he married Dottie Landers and together they began their Air Force life and travel adventures. Their first assignment was Wichita, Kan., then on to Germany, DaNang, Vietnam, Victorville, Calif., Portsmouth, N.H. and back to Germany, where he retired in 1989, completing a 28-year U.S. Air Force career. His assignments took him also to other locations, including Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and numerous other worldwide duty locations. During his career, he worked on the Conventional Forces Europe Drawdown, the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the inspection of national and North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) and the fielding and support of numerous weapons systems worldwide. He completed his USAF career assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Europe at Ramstein Air Base as a program manager, where he was recognized as an outstanding airman and received the USAF Meritorious Service Medal. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, AF Expeditionary Medal, outstanding unit awards and many other ribbons and clusters. Following his USAF career, he then embarked on a 22-year career in civil service, starting in Naples, Italy, where he worked as an administrative officer and received the Navy Civilian Meritorious Service Medal for his work on the Conventional Forces Europe Drawdown. He then transitioned to the safety field, supporting general industry, construction and the medical and health care arenas. Eventually, leaving Europe after 28 years, he worked as a certified safety and health manager for the Veterans Administration in Gainesville, Fla., and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah, where he received the Commander's Award.
Through the years, Phil was actively involved in church and community organizations, including as Catholic Charities Drive chairperson, parish census coordinator, parish council member, lector and PTSA president, and was a communicant at St Anne Catholic Church in Richmond Hill. In addition, he was a member Air Force Association, the Institute for Safety and Health Management, the VFW and the University of New Hampshire Alumni Association.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters, Mary and Peggy; and his brother-in-law, Lennie Hood.
In addition to his wife of 48 years, Dottie, he leaves his four children, Colleen and Tim of Dallas, Texas, Kevin (Roberta) of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Shawn (Susan); his grandchildren, Emmy and Teven, both of Sigonella, Sicily; two brothers, Larry (Pat) of Plymouth, Mass., and Dan (Pauline) of West Springfield, Mass.; sister-in-law, Barbara (Bunny Landers) Hood of Agawam, Mass.; nieces, nephews and numerous cousins; and lifelong favorites, the Boston Red Sox, tjhe New England Patriots and the Boston Celtics.
A local memorial service is at 10 a.m. Feb. 22 at St. Anne Catholic Church in Richmond Hill.
The funeral is at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at Tazzini Funeral Home Chapel in Springfield, Mass., with a funeral mass at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church. Burial with military honors will follow in St. Michael's Cemetery in Springfield, Mass.
Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Sisters of St. Joseph, Mont Marie, 34 Lower Westfield Road, Holyoke, MA 01040 or St. Anne Building Fund, 10550 Ford Ave., Richmond Hill, Ga. 31324.
A guest book page may be found on masslive.com beginning on Feb. 26.
Arrangements are by Tazzini Funeral Home of Springfield, Mass.