David Eugene McGrain

1931 - 2026

David Eugene McGrain

November 1, 1931 - February 10, 2026

Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania - David Eugene McGrain, 94, of Upper St Clair, PA, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2026, after a brief illness.

Born in Waukegan, IL, to Francis (Bunch) McGrain and Kathleen (Kitty) Duffy McGrain, David was an inquisitive and adventurous boy. He was fiercely passionate about learning from the start and dedicated his life to both his pursuit of excellence and his family.

After he graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in chemical engineering, David landed a job at Witco Chemical Corporation. He worked at Witco for his entire career starting as a project engineer and finishing 33 years later as a Senior Vice President at the company headquarters in Greenwich, CT.

David left high school in 1948 to join the army. He fought in the Korean War for one year and was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service during the early stages of this war. David met his first wife Anita (nee Mayala) in high school, and they were married when he returned from combat in 1951. David and Anita had two beautiful daughters, Nina and Lisa. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1958. In October of 1959, David met second wife Karen (nee Geyer). They were also blessed with two daughters, Anne and Beth. David was a strong, kind, and supportive father. His sense of humor and loving guidance were the foundation of his family.

David was a zealous golfer. He was a lifetime poet and never missed an opportunity to provide a new Ode. He spent most of his retirement continuing to serve in management positions first at the Chapel Hill Planning Board and later as the President of the Homeowners Association at Cobble Ridge in Chapel Hill and then Camden Park in Fearrington Village, NC.

Daivd was predeceased by wife Karen, his parents, and siblings Bill, Leo, and Patricia (PK). He leaves behind his daughters Nina and husband David Decker, Lisa, Anne and husband Ron Kaplan, and Beth. He also leaves behind his 7 grandchildren (Kristen, Amanda, Nicole, Brandon, Brian, Nick, and Aiden) and 6 great grandchildren (Evan, Charlie, Arden, Nora, Sammy, and Gabriel).

A virtual service is being planned. David and Karen will be interred together at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington DC. Details for both services will be shared when available. Family requests donations be sent to honor David's caregivers at Friendship Village of South Hills. To donate, go to https://thelifespacefoundation.org/give-now, select your gift amount and then select "Friendship Village of South Hills - Team Member Appreciation" in the "I want to support" drop down menu. If you prefer to mail a check, please make it out to Lifespace Foundation (indicate David McGrain Friendship Village Team Member Appreciation Fund) and mail to Friendship Village of South Hills, 1290 Boyce Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241.