William James "Bill" McCarthy Jr.

1925 - 2023

William James (Bill) McCarthy Jr.

William James (Bill) McCarthy Jr. passed peacefully at the age of 97, on March 28, 2023.

Born in Somerville, MA, on October 8, 1925, Bill was predeceased by his parents, William J. McCarthy and Ellen Shea McCarthy; his brother, John McCarthy, and his beloved wife, Jeanne Ryan McCarthy.

Bill grew up in Boston and graduated from the High School of Commerce, where he was captain of the football team. While attending Boston College, he was inducted into the U.S. Navy and trained for amphibian operations, known as Scouts and Raiders, which later became the Navy Seals. Bill served in the Pacific on the USS Duchess, a troop transport ship, and saw combat during the Battle of Okinawa.

After his World War II service, Bill returned to Boston College, where he earned five varsity letters in football and a B.S. in Economics. On August 15, 1949, he married Jeanne, the love of his life. They enjoyed 67 years together, raising a family and living in 13 states. Wherever they lived, Jeanne and Bill made many friends and were known to cut a rug to any kind of music- from "In the Mood" to "Proud Mary."

Bill had a fifty-seven-year career in the food industry, climbing the ladder from trainee to vice president at Swift & Co., Fairmont Foods, the Williams Companies, Esmark, Beatrice, and ConAgra. He was one of the founders of Carolina Turkeys, now Butterball, LLC. After retirement, he served as a consultant for Schreiber Foods.

Always a dapper dresser, Bill was voted one of Southwest Florida's 10 most fashionable men at the age of 75. He enjoyed community work and was a member of the Elks, Knights of Columbus, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs. He served in many Chambers of Commerce and was a board member at several country clubs. Most recently, he served on the board of directors of the Marbelle Club, his residence in Marco Island, FL, where he also served on the Collier County Citizens' Advisory Task Force. In 2020, he moved to Tulsa and was a resident at Montereau.

Bill is survived by his son, William James McCarthy III (Jim) and his wife, Marian of Tulsa, OK; his daughter, Patricia McCarthy Krogh and her husband, Hans of Alpharetta, GA; grandchildren, Madeleine McCarthy and husband, Matt Kollaja of Portland, OR; Caitlin McCarthy of Tulsa, Kerin Marie Krogh of Seattle; and Kegan Krogh of Atlanta.

A memorial Mass will be held on Marco Island later this year.