Edward McCarthy

Edward P. McCarthy NORFOLK - Edward P. McCarthy, a World War II Navy veteran, born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Dec. 10, 1920 to the late Harry E. McCarthy and Genevieve Mulhern McCarthy, and a retired New York City fireman with 38 years of service with Marine Company 1, weighed anchor for the final voyage on May 1, 2010. A loving family man with a zest for life and an ever- present sense of humor, he showed great love for reading, fine cuisine, Scrabble, gardening, the N.Y. Yankees, and foreign languages. He was proud of his Irish ancestry and with his daughter and son-in-law made several wonderful trips to Ireland, as well as Germany and Austria. His ability to engage others in humor and camaraderie was a delight to all. He had beautiful penmanship. Above all, he had a great love for the U.S. Navy in which he served in World War II as an engineer on a Pacific theater aircraft carrier, the USS Saginaw Bay. His ship saw much combat action yet he was always quick to say, "The young kids like the pilots and Marines were the heroes, not me." Ed was a 17-year volunteer at the Long Island State Veterans' Home in Stony Brook, N.Y., until he moved to Norfolk in 2008 to be closer to his family. He made friends quickly and kept them for life, among these the many residents of The Talbot on Granby, a senior living apartments complex where he resided until he moved to Heritage Hall in Virginia Beach, where he also had many friends among the staff and fellow residents. On Valentine's Day of this year he was crowned "King of Heritage Hall," a title and role that delighted him. Ed was the widower of Margaret Joan McCarthy and was predeceased by his two sisters, Miriam Finan and Patricia Schwallbach. He is survived by his daughter, Sharon M. Cummings and her husband Buck of Norfolk; his daughter, Maureen M. McCarthy and her husband Michael Sullivan of N. Ferrisburg, Vt.; his son, Kevin E. McCarthy and the mother of his grandchildren, Amy V. McCarthy; and his beloved grandchildren, Fergus Patrick, Owen Edward, Claire Margaret and Nola Rose, all of Buffalo, N.Y. He is also survived by his two step- granddaughters, Anna C. Cummings and Julia M. Rafalko, her husband Kevin and their two children, Rebecca Anne and Ryan Matthew. The family would like to thank the staff of Heritage Hall, Dr. Pran Iruvanti of the VA Medical Center in Hampton and the staff of Sentara Leigh for their compassionate and outstanding care. The intent of the family, in keeping with his spirit as a Navy sailor and his appreciation for the sacrifices of our service men and women, is to commit his remains to a burial at sea from a U.S. Navy ship at a later and private time. Altmeyer Funeral Homes is handling other arrangements. In lieu of flowers, charitable gifts may be made, in his honor, to Ed's favorite organization, The USO, P.O. Box 96860, Washington, DC 20077.