John F. "Jack" McCoy

LTC (Ret) John F. "Jack" McCoy 75 years, a true Irishman, passed away on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2010 after a courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease. Jack was born in the Bronx, New York on July 31, 1934 to Michael and Catherine McCoy. On September 20, 1958, Jack and Margaret "Peggy" Murphy were married at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in the Bronx. Jack earned a bachelor's degree from Manhattan College and a Master's Degree from Columbia University. Upon graduation, Jack was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He served as a Personnel Officer and Instructor during his first five years of service before dedicating the next 18 years to our nation as a Missile Officer and Wing Commander. Following 23 years of honorable service, Jack retired from active duty in 1980 as a Lieutenant Colonel and embarked upon his second career as a financial planner in Tucson, Arizona with First Command Financial Services. Over the next 20 years, Jack served the financial aspirations of countless military families and became not only a highly regarded and well-respected mentor, but a friend to those families he touched. Jack's belief in character and integrity were paramount in his life. These principles resonate loudly with all who crossed his path and have become a life's lesson that will endure as part of his legacy. Jack was a humble and grateful man who viewed his life as a series of "happy accidents". He was a patriot and a gentleman and will be deeply missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him. Jack is survived by his wife of nearly 52 years, Peggy; children, Rick and Steve McCoy, Julie (Rod) Brown; grandchildren, Jonathon (Carrie) Seidl, Jennifer Weideman, Heather, Matthew and Caitlin McCoy; great-grandchildren, Joshua Seidl and Natalee Weideman and his brother, Tom (Barbara) McCoy. Private Services will be held at East Lawn Cemetery in April. In lieu of cards and flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jack's memory to the Alzheimer's Association Desert Southwest Chapter. Donations may be mailed to PO Box 27352, Tucson, AZ 85726 or completed online at: http://www.alz.org/dsw.