RONALD B. McCARTHY

1941 - 2025

Ronald B. McCarthy a resident of Longs, South Carolina, U. S. Air Force veteran and former Elmira Star Gazette contest winner and paper carrier in Wellsboro, died April 6, 2025. Born July 24, 1941, in Sayre, he was a 1959 graduate of Wellsboro-
Charleston Joint Senior High School. Preceding him is his wife of eight years, Deb.
Surviving are his son and daughter-in-law, Anthony and Gina McCarthy of Cary, N.C., and grandchildren, Anthony McCarthy, great-grandchildren, Elena and Chase McCarthy of Holly Springs, N.C. and Ashley McCarthy Crittenton of Raleigh, N.C.; son-in-law and daughter, Paul and Kathleen Massarelli and granddaughter, Katelyn Massarelli of Valrico, Fla., and son-in-law and daughter, Scott and Helen Ballentine of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., nieces, Denise and Dawn of New York State and Melissa Lazar of Maryland.
His late wife, Sharon; brother, John, of Newburgh, N.Y. and parents, Agnes and C. Basil McCarthy of Wellsboro and Sarah Battles of Maryland preceded him in death.
He served on active-duty United States Air Force from October 16, 1960, to December 31, 1981, serving in Texas, Mississippi, Greece, Montana, Philippines, Maine, Guam, North Carolina, Vietnam, Thailand and Germany. He received myriad awards for his many contributions in Airfield Management and Aircrew Resource Management including three Air Force Commendation Medals and three Air Force Meritorious Service Medals. He retired from active-duty January 1, 1982. He continued serving as a U. S. Air Force Civil Servant from July 6, 1982, to July 31, 2004, holding many Airfield Management positions including Chief of Airfield
Management Pope Field/Fort Bragg, North Carolina (1991-1997) and Chief of Airfield Management Standardization and Evaluation Division, Headquarters United States Air Force Flight Standards Agency, Pentagon, Washington, DC (1997-2004). He was selected as Pope's civilian of the year for 1996 and as Headquarters United States Air Force Air Combat Command's Civilian Airfield Manager of the Year also in 1996. He received the Air Force Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award in 2004 for his impact on the airfield management profession and the United States Air Force Air Traffic System Evaluation Program. Because of his many significant contributions, Headquarters United States Air Force changed Air Force Instruction 36-2807 effective July 18, 2007, renaming its annual worldwide "Airfield Management Facility of the Year Award" as the "Ronald B. McCarthy Airfield Management Facility of the Year Award." Retiring from federal service August 1, 2004, he then helped establish "Airfield Management Systems, LLC" continuing to provide expertise and inspection of military air traffic systems throughout the United States.