Francis J. McNamara Jr.

Colonel, USAF (Ret)

Francis Joseph McNamara (“Frank”), age 95, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, September 2, 2018, surrounded by family. He was born on January 25, 1923 in Brooklyn, NY to Francis Joseph (“Frankie”) and Marie (“Mimi”) (Otto) McNamara. He grew up in Pelham Manor, NY, a suburb of New York City. He was a graduate of Fordham University and attended graduate schools at New York University and Ohio State. During World War II, he was a B-17 pilot in the 8th Air Force, flying 35 missions over Nazi Germany. He also flew tactical aerial missions in the Korean War and Airborne Command Post missions in the Vietnam War. His other Air Force assignments included 3 years as an Exchange Officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force and two tours of duty at Wright Patterson AFB. He retired from the Air Force in 1974 and spent the next 15 years in the aerospace industry before his final retirement. He married Helen Marie (Golden) of Larchmont, NY on June 18, 1953 and together they had seven children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Frank was an avid golfer and spent much of his retirement on the golf course with his sons and friends. He was a big baseball fan – his childhood team was the St. Louis Cardinals, but he rooted for the Cincinnati Reds after moving to Ohio. His renowned sense of humor was intelligent, quick, frequently tongue-in-cheek and self-deprecating. He is preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Noel McNamara and Marijean Beardsworth and his loving wife, Helen. He is survived by daughters, Jean McNamara and Kathleen McNamara (Daniel Clawson); sons, Michael McNamara (Marisu), Kevin McNamara (Lori), Joseph McNamara (Elsa), Donald McNamara (Mallory), and James McNamara (Brenda); grandchildren, Matthew Clawson (Marianne), Michael Clawson, Claire McNamara, David McNamara, Connor McNamara, Kelsey Redfearn Gallagher (Emmet), Sean McNamara, Ryan McNamara, and Daniel McNamara; great-grandchildren, Owen and James Gallagher; cousin, Jane Singleton; nephews, Ed, David and Stephen Beardsworth and niece, Denise Beardsworth Costa. A memorial mass will be held at St. Peter Catholic Church, 6161 Chambersburg Road, Huber Heights on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 at 10:00 am with a reception immediately following. Interment will take place at a later date with a family gathering in Newburgh, NY. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Frank’s favorite charities: The Dayton Foodbank https://thefoodbankdayton.org/donate/ , The Ursulines of Brown County https://www.ursulinesofbc.org/ and for his compassionate care in the final months, Hospice of Dayton www.ohioshospice.org.