Walter John McCarthy, Jr.

Carmel ~ Former CEO of Detroit Edison, Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., a native New Yorker and pioneer in the nuclear energy industry, passed away on Wednesday July 24 at the age of 88. Born in New York City on April 20, 1925, he spent much of his childhood riding on the Dykeman Street Ferry which his father owned and operated (later replaced by the George Washington Bridge), instilling life-long passions for boats, engineering, and New York.

Mr. McCarthy attended the Barnard School from kindergarten through high school and earned a degree in engineering from Cornell University in 1949. He soon distinguished himself in the burgeoning field of nuclear energy and was selected to serve on the Enrico Fermi Breeder Reactor Project, a consortium of utilities exploring the potential of nuclear energy. He then spearheaded the development of the nation’s first operational nuclear power plant, Fermi 1 in Monroe, Michigan, which went on-line in 1963.

Over the next 37 years, Mr. McCarthy held various management positions at Detroit Edison, culminating in his tenure as CEO from 1981-1990. He was widely regarded throughout the utility industry, both nationally and abroad, as a prominent expert on nuclear plant safety and served as Chairman of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). “When crises like Three Mile Island struck, Mac was a steady hand,” says Caren Byrd, Vice President of Morgan-Stanley and an INPO colleague. “He used his unparalleled knowledge of nuclear power to respond, adapt, and lead the industry through uncertain times.” For instance, Mr. McCarthy played a pivotal role in reassuring anxious policy makers and an alarmed public after the Chernobyl melt-down in 1986 and helped from the World Association of Nuclear Operations to increase safeguards around the globe.

In addition to his business accomplishments, Mr. McCarthy was well-known in Detroit for his philanthropy, serving on numerous boards and as chair of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1980-1987. He was an ardent champion of the arts and fought to keep the symphony going through tough labor battles and economic downturns. One of the great honors of his life was serving as a guest conductor for the DSO.

Mr. McCarthy retired to Carmel, California in 1990, but returned to the Great Lakes every summer to enjoy a ride on the Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. coal freighter that was named in his honor. He continued his commitment to the arts by serving as the Chair of the Monterey Symphony and relished frequent trips to his beloved New York to feast on theatre, art and music. He and his second wife, Linda, traveled extensively together, but no matter where in the world they were, Mr. McCarthy always identified himself as being “from New York” and insisted on finding and reading the New York Times cover-to-cover everyday.

Mr. McCarthy is survived by his wife, Linda; his former wife, Alice; his children, Walter, David, Sharon, James and William; his stepdaughters, Carrielynn, Laura and Lisa, and 14 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be next Sunday, August 10 at 4:00 PM at the Church in the Forest, Pebble Beach. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations may be made to YOSAL, an organization that introduces classical music to at-risk youth in the Monterey Peninsula.