Eugene Francis McCarthy

1936 - 2025

Eugene Francis McCarthy

Mar 27, 1936 - May 29, 2025

Eugene Francis McCarthy, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and veteran, passed peacefully, surrounded by family, in Winston-Salem, NC, following a quietly heroic eleven-year battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). His brilliant intellect, wry sense of humor, age-defying athleticism, kindness and abiding love for family, friends, pets, the Boston Red Sox, and his country will be dearly missed.

McCarthy was born in Northampton, MA, the oldest of three children to Susan and Eugene McCarthy. His mother taught elementary school and citizenship classes to immigrants. His father served in Northampton politics.

A gifted natural athlete, Eugene was a star football, basketball and baseball player from early childhood through college and beyond. Fiercely competitive, there was no sport he couldn't conquer, participating in school and city leagues, high school and collegiate sports, and semi-pro baseball.

McCarthy graduated from Deerfield Academy, a two-sport stand-out in basketball and baseball. He attended the University of Massachusetts, where he played Division 1 baseball, and graduated with a degree in Business.

After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army where he served as a Sergeant in the Counterintelligence Corps stationed in Korea. McCarthy's specialized military service led to a career dedicated to service of country. Following his discharge, he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working in multiple field offices including Washington D.C., Detroit and New York. He was known for his affinity for languages and attended the Defense Language Institute, graduating with a degree in Chinese Mandarin.

This passion for service inspired three of his seven children who followed in his footsteps at the FBI and Department of Justice, with spouses who also served.

McCarthy left the FBI to work as Director and Senior Director of Corporate Security with global brands including Levis Strauss & Co., San Francisco, the Gilette Co., Boston, and R.J. Reynolds Industries, Winston-Salem, where he worked for 26 years before retiring in 2004.

Known for his integrity and strength of character, McCarthy enjoyed memberships in the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, was a 33-year member of the American Society for Industrial Security and was Vice Chairman of the Committee for Combatting International Terrorism.

McCarthy picked up tennis and golf effortlessly as an adult and became such a gifted golfer that he consistently competed in and won tournaments. He golfed and worked out at the Robinhood YMCA until his final months.

Above all else, McCarthy was a wonderful, dedicated father to his seven children. He spent countless hours coaching, giving batting practice to his kids and their friends, and attending athletic events, dance recitals and piano performances with a stoic face. He was a role model to all of them.

To the end, his photographic memory, and recall of microscopic details and facts remained razor-sharp. His brain was formidable, always curious and open to new information. He served as consiglieri to his children, offering wise counsel always.

His wife of 38 years, Harriet White McCarthy, whom he loved deeply survives him along with seven children and six grandchildren. All adored him.

He had four children, John Erik McCarthy (Baton Rouge, LA), Caroline McCarthy Johnson (Pittsburgh, PA), Gena McCarthy Reesch (Montclair, NJ), and Alyssa McCarthy Morgan (Alexandria, VA) with his first wife, Edith Gross McCarthy (Pittsburgh, PA).

Eugene and Harriet adopted three children from Russia, Leonty McCarthy (Brooklyn, NY), Alexei McCarthy (Winston-Salem, NC) and Sergei McCarthy (Winston Salem, NC) raising them in Winston-Salem.

He is also survived by his sister, Susan McCarthy Himmelman (Winston-Salem); his brother, Robert McCarthy, died in 2020.

Special thanks are extended to the wonderful doctors and nursing staff at Novant, Hematology and Oncology, particularly Dr. Eugene Paschold who cheerfully shepherded us through the darkest of times, to his two book sharing friends, Mike Rubin and Gray Wilson; and to all his Wilshire buddies, may you all meet again in a celestial golf tournament.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, June 14, 2 p.m. followed by time to visit at Salem Funeral Home, Main Street, Winston-Salem.

McCarthy will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

In Eugene's memory please consider Medicines Sans Frontieres or Second Harvest Food Bank.

Condolences may be shared online at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

120 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101