DANIEL J. McCARTHY Jr.

McCARTHY, DANIEL J., JR Daniel J. McCarthy Jr., of Coventry and formerly of Manchester, beloved husband of Jean (Starin) McCarthy, died Thursday (March 25, 2010) after a short illness. He was born February 10, 1926, in Manchester, son of the late Daniel J. McCarthy, Sr., and Blanche (Harris) McCarthy and attended Manchester Schools. He was a U.S. Army Veteran and served during World War II . Dan's early career was at Manchester Plumbing Supply on Main Street where he became a Plumber's Apprentice. Upon return after World War II, he opened the Laurel Photography Studio at Manchester Center. A few years later Dan attended and graduated from the Porter School of Design and embarked on a long career as a Manufacturing Engineer and Tool Designer, working at Hamilton Standard and later retiring from Colt Firearms in 1988. Mr. McCarthy greatly enjoyed activities with his wife and family, neighbors and friends, as well as his many other interests. Dan loved sports and was an avid golfer, enjoying many years with his best buddies on the links at Manchester Country Club and later with the chaps as freelancers, sampling courses around Connecticut. Ever competitive, Dan looked forward to the winter bowling league and all of the good fiends he made there. Go Sox, Go Cowboys! Mr. McCarthy was a lifelong scholar of the Civil War and the life of Abraham Lincoln. He researched hundreds of books and recently used the internet to continue to study and discover new information. Dan loved poetry and would quote his favorites, often Longfellow, Henley or Kipling; he also penned a few lines here and there. Over the last decade Dan had a great interest in the genealogy of his family and their Irish roots. His interest led to wonderful contacts with many new cousins, to the discovery of the McCarthy homestead in Avon, CT, and to the ancestral origin of the family in Castlelyons, Ireland. Dan was a nature lover, and was overjoyed upon moving to Coventry to finally see a deer at close range. He loved to sit on the porch and watch the birds and chipmunks at the birdfeeder and was very fond of the pet fox that showed up in the past year. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Deborah C. McCarthy-Platz and her husband, Donald E. Platz, of Coventry; his sister, Blanche Senna of Manchester; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his twin brother, Francis J. McCarthy, brother, William J. McCarthy, and sister, Rosemary Coleman. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at 1 p.m., at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 41 Park St., Manchester. Burial will be in the East Cemetery, Manchester. Calling hours will be held Monday, from 4-7, at the Watkins Funeral Home, 142 East Center St., Manchester. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY 10065. To sign the online register book go to www.holmes-watkinsfuneralhomes.com