John G. McCoy

John G. McCoy, 97, of New Albany, passed away peacefully in his sleep April 4, 2010, at his residence. John was born January 30, 1913 in Marietta, Ohio to John Hall and Florence Buchanan McCoy. He was a 1935 graduate of Marietta College where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity, and earned an MBA from Stanford University in 1937. He felt education was of utmost importance, hence his focus on creating scholarships for students and professors. He was recognized for his professional and philanthropic contributions with several honorary degrees, including honorary Doctor of Business Administration from The Ohio State University, honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Kenyon College and Marietta College, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Ohio Dominican University, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife of 65 years, Jeanne Bonnet McCoy. He is survived by daughter Virginia, son John B., daughter in-law Jane, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. John began a more than 50-year career in banking at City National Bank & Trust Co. of Columbus in 1937. After serving his country during World War II as Chief Financial Advisor for the War Production Board, rising to the rank of Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve, he returned to City National Bank. In 1949, he was elected to its Board of Directors. A decade later, he was named President and CEO, and over the next 25 years he turned one of Columbus’s smallest banks with a single branch in Columbus into regional banking powerhouse Banc One Corporation, the largest and most successful bank in Ohio. John received numerous honors from the financial services industry for his innovative leadership and groundbreaking strategies involving the introduction of new products such as credit cards, drive-up tellers, and automated teller machines. Bank One Corporation was merged with JP Morgan Chase in 2004. He was a member of the American Bankers Advisory Council to the US Treasury Dept, President of the Association of Reserve City Bankers and the Association of Bank Holding Companies, and served as a member of the Federal Reserve Advisory Council. His many civic contributions to the Columbus community included serving as Chairman of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, The Development Committee for Greater Columbus, and the Franklin County Chapter of the American Red Cross. He was also an active member of the Columbus Foundation and Ohio State University Foundation governing committees. In 1999 he received the Harrison M Sayre Award from the Columbus Foundation for philanthropy and leadership in the community. His personal generosity will be his greatest legacy. He was a competitor in everything he did. He loved being with his friends, playing golf and enjoying his homes in Florida, Northern Michigan and Columbus. He honored his wife by establishing the Jeanne B. McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany. He also committed his time and money to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, COSI, The Ohio State University, Habitat for Humanity of Central Ohio, and dozens of other central Ohio charitable organizations. He was an individual who took pride in making a difference and of taking care of the people around him. The family will receive friends Thursday, April 8 from 4pm to 7pm at SCHOEDINGER MIDTOWN CHAPEL, 229 E State St. Columbus, Ohio 43215. Funeral services will be held Friday, April 9 at 11:00 am St Alban’s Episcopal Church, 333 S. Drexel Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43209. Private Burial at Green Lawn Cemetery. The Right Reverend William E Swing and the Reverend Michael Jupin officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Marietta College, 215 Fifth St. Marietta, OH 45750, to The Ohio State University, University Development, 1480 W. Lane Ave. Visit www.schoedinger.com to offer condolences or a memory of John.