William Richard McCarthy

Bill was born on July 21, 1943, in New York, New York to Francis and Sarah (Hover) McCarthy. His younger years were spent with his parents in New Jersey. After his mom passed away, he went to live with his older sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Harold Barton, in Dade City, Florida. He graduated from Pasco High School in Dade City in 1961.

Bill joined the United States Air Force at the age of 18 and proudly served his country for 26 years. He was stationed in multiple locations including Vietnam, Washington D.C., Germany, North Dakota, Nebraska, Mississippi, and Texas, where he retired in Austin as a Master Sergeant in 1987. After his military service, Bill served an additional 20 years with the state of Texas, working for The University of Texas System and the Texas Department of Transportation.

Bill met the love of his life, Mary Perkins, in 1969 while stationed in Washington, D.C. They were married on July 3, 1970, celebrated 45 years of marriage together, and raised two children before Mary passed away in 2015. Bill was passionate about his Irish heritage. He toured Ireland in 2011 with his wife and deemed it as one of the highlights of his life.

Bill was a hard worker and a devoted provider for his family. He enjoyed the outdoors, grilling steaks in the backyard, sunbathing, and traveling to small towns around Texas. He also loved rooting for his home state football team, the Florida State Seminoles, and would have loved to retire somewhere on the beaches of Florida but never made it back there to live.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents Francis and Sarah McCarthy; his sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Harold Barton; and his wife Mary (Perkins) McCarthy.

Bill is survived by his son Shawn McCarthy; his daughter Coleen (Sean Hall) McCarthy; his grandchildren Teha (Antwoin) Evans, Sevyn McCarthy, Emberlee McCarthy, and Jacob (Tiffani) Montoya; five great-grandchildren; close family friend Patricia Fletcher; and his dog Kelly.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Bill’s honor to K9s for Warriors or the American Cancer Society.

A memorial service for William will be held Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral H, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749, followed by a reception at 12:00 PM.