Dr. James Richard McCoy

Known to family and friends as “Jim,” he was born in 1943 in Portsmouth, Ohio. After graduating from Roselle Park High School in New Jersey, he studied at Stevens Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Chemistry. Later on, he earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Akron.

Jim served in the United States Air Force as a Fuels Management Officer, where he was responsible for fuel operations for the SR-71 aircraft. While stationed at Goose Air Base in Goose Bay, Labrador, he met his future wife of 52 years. They moved to Dayton, OH, where they raised two sons.

Jim excelled in his career as a Chemical Engineer and then a Senior Research Chemist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he received numerous honors for his innovations in the Aero Propulsion Lab and the Structural Materials Branch. He was affectionately known as “Dr. McCoy” by his colleagues, stemming from a shared appreciation for the TV series, Star Trek.

Jim’s passion for astronomy led him to build a homemade telescope, and he shared summer evenings instilling a sense of wonder in his family by gazing into the night sky with them. He was a member of St. George’s Episcopal Church, where he served on the vestry and formed long-lasting friendships.

Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Maxine; father, Walter; and wife, Rita.

Jim's memory lives on with his children, Michael and Matthew; grandchildren, Daniel and Jack and their mother, Lisa McCoy-Ford; brother, The Rev. David O. McCoy and his wife, Christine Knisely; and sister, Ann Sulfridge and her husband, Ken.

Jim’s family expresses sincere gratitude to the staff at Brookdale Kettering for the community and compassion that he found there; and to Affinity Hospice and Tobias Funeral Home for their compassion and support.

Jim’s ashes will be buried in the St. Francis Memorial Garden at St. George's Episcopal Church, 5520 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45429, following the offering of a Christian burial rite at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026 in the Sanctuary. A gathering in celebration of Jim’s life will be hosted in the Parish Hall afterwards.

Memories of Jim may be shared and condolences expressed through Dignity Memorial at www.dignitymemorial.com. From his generous heart, Jim would often donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and memorial contributions may be made there at www.stjude.org. Condolences may be sent to www.tobiasfuneralhome.com