Earl N. McCay

EARL N. McCAY, SR.

Earl N. McCay, Sr., age 86, 206 East Third Street, Mifflinville, died at 5:35 p. m. Friday, September 25, 2009 at the Bloomsburg Hospital where he was a patient for three days.

Born in Morgan, Kentucky, he was a son of the late Thomas and Elizabeth (Farmer) McKay. He was a 1941 graduate of Bourbon County High School, Millersburg, Kentucky.

Earl served with the U.S.Army Tank Corps during World War II in the Pacific Theater, participating in the invasion of Luzon, Phillipine Islands. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Following his military service, he was employed by Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corp. for 29 years, retiring in 1976. He began his career in Cincinnati, Ohio and was transfered to Toms River, New Jersey where he remained until retiring in 1976. He farmed in Mount Pleasant Township for seven years and also drove a school bus for various contractors in the Central Columbia School District for 11 years.

Earl moved to Columbia County in 1976 and remained in the Bloomsburg area until moving to Mifflinville in 1989.

He was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church, Bloomsburg; Oriental Lodge 460, F & AM, Orangeville, Caldwell Consistory, Bloomsburg and Valley of Bloomsburg Post 273, American Legion.

Earl was preceded in death by his wife, the former Ruth M. Gilbert on November 10, 1985; by a daughter, Earline McCay in January, 1944 and by a grandson, Anthony Gebhardt.

Surviving are nine children: David R. McCay, Fredericksburg, Va.; Larry E. McCay, and his wife Margaret, Colonial Heights, Va.; Rebecca Paxson, Arlington, Texas; Marilyn, wife of Michael Williams, Azle, Texas; Matthew P. McCay, and his wife Nancy, Paxions; Mark P. McCay, Dallas, Texas; Colette I. McCay Klinges, and her husband Michael, Exton; Michael P. McCay, and his wife Lisa, Bloomsburg; Earl N. McCay, and his wife Laura, Perkasie; 17 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was the last of a family of 14 children.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at 11 a. m. in the Dean W. Kriner, Inc., Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 325 Market St., Bloomsburg. The Rev. Joshua L. Reinsburrow, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Mifflinville, will officiate. Interment in Waller Cemetery, Jackson Township with military honors by the combined VFW group. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday from 6-8 p. m. Masonic memorial services will be held at 7 p. m.

The family will provide flowers. Memorials may be sent to either the AMVETS National Service Foundation, 4647 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, MD 20706 or the Downs Syndrome/Trisomy 21 Clinic at Childrens Hospital of Phildelphia, P. O. Box 40930, Philadelphia, PA 19107, attention Team Kyla Buddy Walk.