Willard "Bill" J. McCarthy Obituary (1922 - 2017)

Willard Bill J. McCarthy, age 94, retired professor of Industrial Technology at Illinois State University, died Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, while living at Sugar Creek Alzheimer Care Center, Normal, where he had resided for over two years.His funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 11th, at Epiphany Catholic Church, Normal, IL, with visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Carmody Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington, is in charge of arrangements.Willard was born March 16, 1922, Appleton, WI, a son of William and Helen Heckel McCarthy. He married Lynette Nolen Feb. 8, 1947, in Grand Prairie, TX. She died, Feb. 27, 2012, shortly after celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.Survivors include two daughters, Leah (David) Kopka, Bloomington; Constance (Alfred) Letizio, Chelsea, MI; a son Dr. Timothy (Barbara) McCarthy, Eden Prairie, MN; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.One brother survives, Cliff (Betty); and two sisters, Mary (Jack, deceased) Reardon; both of Appleton; Dolly (Clare, deceased) Plesser; Columbus, Ohio. He was predeceased by three brothers, Richard (Vern, survives); Emmet (Ardell); Donald (Liz Hopfensperger, survives); and one well-known cousin, Senator Joseph R McCarthy; all of Appleton.Willard grew up on a dairy farm which was part of the original homestead established by his Irish grandfather who immigrated about 1850. He was always very proud, that generations later, his nephew and family continue to operate this dairy farm today.Mr. McCarthy was a WWII veteran serving from 1942-47 as a naval aviator and flight instructor. He received his B.S. in Industrial Education from the University of Wisconsin Stout; and the M.Ed. degree from the University of Illinois.Willards 30 year teaching career in Industrial Technology included Pulaski High School, WI, and Murray State University, KY. He was a professor at ISU from 1955-80 where he specialized in industrial metals manufacturing processes, including applied physical metallurgy.Mr. McCarthy coauthored two textbooks, Machine Tool Technology and Metalwork Technology and Practice. As a respected expert in his field, he was also asked to author a major article for the fifteenth edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, entitled Machine Tools.He was a past member of the American Vocational Association, National Association of Industrial Technology, Illinois Vocational Association, American Foundrymens Society, American Society for Metals, Illinois State University Annuitants Association, and a charter member of Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal, IL.In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the ISU Foundation, 1101 N Main St., Campus Box 8000, Normal, IL 61761. Please include in the memo line: Willard McCarthy Engineering Technology Scholarship