Frank Terence McCarthy

Frank (Terry) McCarthy 91, passed away on July 7, 2026. He was born April 5, 1935, in Cedar Rapids, IA, to Amy Knospe McCarthy and Frank Joseph McCarthy. He graduated from Marquette University obtaining a BA in Political Science and Philosophy in 1957. He received his MA at USC in International Relations.

McCarthy joined the Army in 1959. He was sent to Thailand in 1961, and after returning to the US, he was assigned to Army Intelligence. He served two years at the Army’s School of the Americas teaching military classes in Spanish.

He went to Viet Nam in 1968 serving on the J2 staff in Saigon. He was responsible for the major intelligence breakthrough on the Vietnamese Communist use of Cambodia to get munitions to eastern Cambodia’s base areas. That breakthrough resulted in President Nixon canceling the “Rules of No Engagement” applied to US Forces.

In 1973 was reassigned to the Army’s V Corps in Frankfurt Germany. En route to Germany, Major McCarthy stopped by Fort Benning, Georgia, earning his parachutist wings, nearly killing himself in the process! In 1976 Lt. Colonel McCarthy was transferred back to Washington and took over a new Intelligence Command. McCarthy retired in 1979.

He worked as a consultant for over ten years for various firms in the DC area, including a stint at CIA headquarters. In the early 90’s he consulted with the American Indian Foundation, spending three years in the New Mexico/Great Plains area working with Native American Pueblos helping them with business development objectives and grant writing.

He was heavily involved in Christian Ministry for 36 years. In 1989, he founded Operation Friends, Inc., which worked with the homeless in Southern Fairfax County, VA. In 1985, he was presented with the Good Neighbor Award for exceptional work with the homeless. He was appointed Assistant Hospital Chaplain at DeWitt Army Hospital.

After his stepdaughter’s death at Notre Dame in 1993, he and his wife became heavily involved with MADD in Fairfax, VA. They both served as victim advocates, and spoke at schools and venues on drunk driving. He started a vehicle donation program, raising $800,000 for Virginia MADD.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years Teresa, and his children, Amy McCarthy, Timothy (Nell) McCarthy, Julia Yarborough, and stepchildren Sarah Smith and Rachel Sharp and their children Samantha, Ryan, Justin, Carter and Ian, great-grand children Lawson and Emerson. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Susan McCarthy Bustos, and stepdaughter Mara Rose Fox.

A Rosary will be held at 11:30 am on July 13, 2026, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, 14598 Oak Ridge Rd, Carmel, IN 46032. Visitation will follow from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, also at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 pm on July 13, 2026, at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, 230 W Monroe Street, Suite 200, Chicago, Illinois 60606, US (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/), or Tunnel 2 Towers, 2361 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, New York 10306, US (https://t2t.org/).