Desmond Francis McGrann

Desmond F. McGrann “Mac”, 94, of Morehead City, passed away Thursday, May 1, 2025, peacefully at his home. A Funeral Mass with full military honors will be held at 11 a.m. on May 8, 2025, at St. Egberts Catholic Church in Morehead City.

He was born on March 28, 1931, in Long Island City, NY, to the late Francis T. McGrann and Beatrice “Bee” Murray McGrann. He graduated from St. Francis Xavier Military High School in NYC in 1949.

After a short time working in heavy construction, he joined the US Navy at the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 and served in the After Diesel engine group aboard the heavy cruiser USS Des Moines CA134 with the 6th Fleet. With an honorable discharge in 1954, he attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in an engineering curriculum at night while working as a Stationary Diesel Engineer for the County of Nassau, NY.

In 1957 Mac married the love of his life, Marian Grace Vieser, and they raised five children in a home they both designed and built in Wading River, NY. He then transferred to Brookhaven National Laboratory as a Staff Area Supervisor to help run the Cosmotron facility, and later on he was a Design Engineer in the building of the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. Next, he was the Service Manager at Henry Knese Inc. in Queens, NY., supervising sixteen diesel mechanics in the servicing of commercial ships and yachts in the NYC harbor and surrounding areas. Then, in the 80s, he took a job with Euclid Equipment in Farmingdale, LI, as an Applications Engineer, designing, building, and commissioning Diesel Electric “Black Start” power systems in the Near and Far East and Central America.

He was an innovator and inventor who rarely did a job the same as it was done by others. He spent 20 years of his late life’s idle time rebuilding a 1972, mahogany, 42 ft. Grand Banks “Daisy Mae” to showroom condition with major new planking, all new or rebuilt electrical. a/c, refrigeration systems and twin Diesel main propulsion systems with a 7.5 KW Diesel generator. After his retirement and move to Morehead City he joined the St. Egbert’s Men’s Club and was involved in many church activities and outreach charity works. His new home in Brandywine allowed him to devote his skills to various upgrading project in inlay stone, tile work, and carpentry.

Mac is survived by his loving wife, Marian, of 69 years; sons, Steven, Jeffrey, twins James and John McGrann; daughter, Susan Moschetto; grandchildren Michael and Joseph McGrann, Nicholas Moschetto, Tyler and Lindsey McGrann, Danielle Stallon, Jeffrey Elliot; great grandchildren, Adrianna, Hayden Elliot and Maverick McGrann.

He was preceded in death by his parents and twin infant brothers, Donald and Brendan, and sister Maureen.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Egbert’s Catholic Church or School, 1705 Evans St. Morehead City, NC, 28557; or Martha’s Mission Cupboard, PO Box 603, Morehead City, NC, 28557

Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net

Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home & Crematory of Morehead City, NC.