John J. McCarthy

John J. “Jack”, age 89, of Greenacres, FL, formerly of Wyckoff and Old Tappan, Secretary of the New Jersey Senate-Emeritus, passed away on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Jack was born May 21,1933 in New York, NY. He later lived in Fall River, MA and Dumont, NJ. He graduated from Dumont High School in 1951. While still in high school he joined the Army National Guard (50th Armored Division) and later the Army Reserve. He was educated at Upsala College and the CIC Institute.

A Certified Insurance Counselor, he founded the John J. McCarthy Agency, Inc. of Dumont, NJ in 1957 and co-founded New Jersey’s first Municipal Joint Insurance Fund-which set the stage for many self-insurance plans in NJ. He was a founding director of Interchange State Bank and Northern State Bank. He was a board member and past president of Shelter Our Sisters, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence. He was also a member of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association, and a gold card member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 632.

He had a lifetime of both political party and public service, serving in many capacities. He was a candidate for Mayor of Old Tappan in 1969 and for NJ Senate in 1971. He served as Secretary of the New Jersey Senate from 1984-1992. He and his family were very proud that he was twice a member of the Electoral College. He was a dedicated patron of the American Ballet Theater, and a lifetime fan of the New York Yankees and the New York Football Giants.

He was the beloved father of Colleen Holdsworth and her husband Donald, Maureen Eller and her fiancé Michael Myers, Michael and his wife Marlene, Sandra DePalma and her husband Rudolph, and Christen Callahan, as well as grandchildren Jennifer Holdsworth Karp and her husband Stuart, Jaclyn Holdsworth Clancy and her husband Martin, Daniel, Christopher and John Eller, Michael (Jr), John J. “Jack” (II), William, and Jillian McCarthy and Alexia DePalma. Survived by his brother Thomas and his wife Patricia, his sisters Mary Jeanne Wilson and Catherine Anne and many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his fiancé Audrey Feingold. He is predeceased by his mother and father, John J. McCarthy and Helen V. McCarthy, his wife Bernadette Callahan McCarthy, and sons John W. and Kevin. He is also predeceased by his former wife and mother of his children, Sandra Armstrong McCarthy.

The family will receive visitors from 2-8pm, Thursday, July 7th at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, NJ. A funeral mass will be Friday, July 8th at 10am at St. Pius X RC Church, 268 Old Tappan Rd, Old Tappan, NJ followed by interment at Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Avenue, Mahwah, NJ. In lieu of flowers please donate to Center for Hope and Safety, 12 Overlook Ave, Rochelle Park, NJ 07662.