Floyd Richard McCormick

Family and friends will be received at the funeral home on Friday 4:00 to 7:00 PM.
A funeral procession will form at the funeral home on Saturday at 9:00 AM.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM at Saint Joseph's Church.
Burial will follow in Hurley Cemetery.
Floyd Richard McCormick died in Rochester, NY on May 1st. Richard was born at his family home in Maybrook, NY on December 18th, 1925 to parents Edna Bodle and Floyd McCormick. As a boy he developed a love of sports which would last a lifetime. In high school, he earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball, and football, before graduating early to enlist in the Army Air Corps.
Richard said that the Army gave him a tour of the United States. After reporting to Camp Upton on Long Island, his training took him across the country through Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, and Nebraska, before leaving from California for Hawaii enroute to Guam. Richard was stationed on Guam for the duration of his service. He was a gunner on the B-29 City of Chattanooga. Stationed in a plexiglass dome atop the plane and using early computer controls, his central fire control position provided the bomber protection against enemy fighters on 18 hour long missions to Japan.
His military experience not only exposed Richard to a world outside of Maybrook, but his time in the Air Force enabled him to attend his beloved Syracuse University on the GI Bill. At Syracuse he discovered a new sport, rowing, which he would continue for the next 65 years. Rowing would again take him across the U.S., competing in the races that would become familiar to many through the story of The Boys in the Boat. While rowing and pursuing his degree in Physical Education, he also earned some spending money as part of the scrimmage squad for the varsity football team.
After graduating in May of 1950, he took a job in West Saugerties teaching in a one-room schoolhouse and on Thanksgiving Day that year, he and Mildred Lyons began their 73 year long marriage. He was subsequently hired by the Kingston City School District and began a three decades long career as a teacher and coach. During his tenure in the Kingston School District, Richard coached football, golf, soccer, and swimming. In 1968, he coached the Kingston Golf Team to the state title– the first state title of any athletic team in Kingston High School's history. Many league and sectional titles would follow in swimming, but he always gave credit to the athletes, not the coach. He celebrated his student athletes' accomplishments, rejoicing equally with the state champion and the young person celebrating a personal best performance that would never be recognized on a podium.
Richard retired from teaching in 1988 and enjoyed traveling around the US and the world with his wife and dear friends. In 1999, rowing came back into his life and an important new chapter was opened. Working with fellow rowing enthusiasts, he helped co-found the Rondout Rowing Club. Sharing his love of crew with new and experienced rowers, youths and adults, became his new passion. His friendships there became rich and numerous. He rowed in his last competitive race at age 87.
Richard was predeceased by his wife Mildred and is survived by his four children; Kim (Jerome) Narolewski, Kelly (Scott) Lyndaker, Kevin (Catherine Cantwell), and Kyle (Bonnie); his grandchildren, Kristin (Zack) Gould, Michael Narolewski, Matthew (Amanda Pittenger) Narolewski, Caleb (Erin) Lyndaker, Danielle (Brian) Coer, Justin (Darcy) Lyndaker, Nicholas McCormick, Matthew (Rola Tarek) McCormick, Patrick (Susima Weerakoon), Meghan McCormick, and Kate (Mitch Jeffers) McCormick, and Joshua (Gianna Barken) McCormick; and six great-grandchildren, Mason, Emma, Mira, Bode, Olivia, and Beckett. In addition to his immediate family, Richard is survived by many beloved godchildren, nieces, nephews, and tremendously dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Rondout Rowing Club to support their youth and adult rowing programs. https://www.regattacentral.com/clubs/?org_id=433, PO Box 1192 Kingston, NY 12402.