Edward R. Mccarthy

HOLDEN - Edward R. McCarthy, 93, of Portsmouth, RI, formerly of Holden, a retired Marine Corps Colonel and retired social worker, died Monday, January 27, 2014 surrounded by his family.



He leaves his wife, Mary M. (Mahoney) McCarthy; a son, Richard J. McCarthy of St. Paul, MN; four daughters, M. Christine Welby of Middletown, RI, Katharine A. McCarthy of Manchester, CT, Anne F. McCarthy of Atlanta, GA and Virginia M. Bassler of N. Attleboro; his brother, John R. McCarthy of Carlsbad, CA; his 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his eldest son, David E. McCarthy of Leesburg, VA; a daughter, Patricia; and his brother, Joseph F. McCarthy.



He was born in Woburn, son of James T. and Nora (Quinn) McCarthy. He graduated from Medford High School, Boston College, and later obtained a Masters degree from the Boston College School of Social Work, where he also met his future wife. He was a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, Newport, R.I.



Colonel McCarthy enlisted in the Marine Corps in March, 1942 and was commissioned later that year. A member of the Fourth Marine Division, he was a platoon commander in the landing at Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and participated in the capture of Saipan, Marianas Islands, where he was wounded and evacuated. Later, he was a platoon commander and company commander in the attack on Iwo Jima.



He returned to civilian life in 1945 and began a career in social work, but was called back to active duty in 1950 during the Korean War. He was commissioned in the regular Marine Corps in 1951 and served in a number of duty stations, including Alaska, Japan and Okinawa, Quantico VA., the University of Nebraska, Washington D.C. and Norfolk, VA.



In 1966, he was assigned to the Third Marine Division in Vietnam and was an assistant chief of staff during operations in the Danang, Hue, Khe Sanh and DMZ areas, working extensively with refugees. Among his military awards are the Legion of Merit (with combat “V”) and the Purple Heart. He retired in 1968 and moved to Worcester, where he was an administrator at the former Assumption Prep before joining the United Way of Central Massachusetts as Associate Director. He retired from the United Way in 1980, and was briefly Acting Director of the YWCA of Worcester. From 1981 to 1984, he headed the Massachusetts section of a national study of the problem of elder abuse. The elder abuse unit tested at Elder Service of the Worcester Area became the model adopted for state-wide protective services for the elderly. In 1987, the award given each year to the outstanding protective services worker in the state was given his name. Later, Mr. McCarthy became a member of the Board of Directors of the agency, served as president, and then was elected as an honorary life member. He was also a corporator of the YWCA, a member of the Guardianship Advisory Committee of Jewish Family Service, a fundraiser for the Catholic Diocese of Worcester, and an active volunteer at St. Mary's Parish in Jefferson. He was a history buff, an avid gardener and with his beloved wife, Mary, an enthusiastic international traveler.



Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, January 31, at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 114 Princeton St., Jefferson. Burial at Grove Cemetery, Holden will take place in the spring. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph, Mont Marie Development Office, 34 Lower Westfield Rd., Holyoke, MA 01040-2739 or the Edward R. McCarthy Scholarship Fund, made payable to Northeastern University School of Law, Office of Development, 400 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115 which funds internships for law students studying elder protection law.



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