Food World doesn’t usually re-print obituaries from other sources, but we decided to make an exception for this one memorializing one of the larger-than-life characters from the food industry in recent years, Pat McCarthy, retired from Ocean Spray and namesake of the Academy of Food Marketing at Saint Joseph’s University’s annual “Pat McCarthy Lecture Series” that for many years brought industry leaders to the university to discuss issues of the day and help prepare students for careers in the food industry. The piece below was originally published by the MacDonald Funeral Home in McCarthy’s hometown of Marshfield, MA. Additionally, our publisher Jeff Metzger shares his thoughts on McCarthy in this month’s Taking Stock column.
Patrick Michael McCarthy, 85, of North Marshfield, MA and Naples, FL passed away on January 31, 2022. He was born on November 11, 1936 to Jack and Pearl (Frederick) McCarthy in Walnut, IL. In 1954, Pat graduated from Walnut High School where he was a standout all-around athlete and president of his class.
Pat attended Bradley University where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduation, he became a traveling salesman at Wilkinson Sword, Vick Chemical and Carter-Wallace where his charismatic personality ignited his career. He became smitten and fell in love with his future wife (Rosalie) Lee, who he married in 1963. They lived in New York City, with a quick stint in New Jersey, and finally settled down to raise a family in Marshfield, MA.
After a 27-year career at Ocean Spray Cranberries, a company that he helped build, Pat retired as the group vice president. Sales and marketing were his forte: he had an uncanny ability to relate to people and transform strangers into friends within the workforce as well as everyday life. If he sat down next to you on a park bench, you might lose a slice of your pizza, but you would gain a buddy, and leave richer in laughter and joy.
Pat was the epitome of “work hard, play hard.” He was a fiercely loyal friend and the beloved patriarch of his family who were the center of his world. Besides calling everyone he knew once a year to sing an off-key version of Happy Birthday, he loved watching sports, reading the newspaper, playing tennis, and entertaining guests with his wacky and witty sense of humor-but he was always his own best audience.
Pat is survived by his wife of 58 years, Rosalie (Lee), their children, Jack McCarthy (Catherine) of Lafayette, CA, Ellen Mueller (Rich) of Antigua, Guatemala, Karen Andrew (Eric) of Marshfield, MA and his sister Maureen Robinson (Ted) of Elk Rapids, MI and Naples, FL. Pat is also survived by nine grandchildren: Connor, Anna, and Sarah McCarthy, Ryan, Andrew, and Caroline Mueller, Kyle, Allison, and Sydney Andrew, and many extended family members.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Dana Farber Cancer Center, by mail to 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215 or online at https://www.dana-farber.org/; or to the Marshfield Boys and Girls Club, by mail to 37 Proprietors Drive, Marshfield, MA 02050 or online at https://www.bgcmarshfield.org/.