Callaghan James McCarthy III

Jim was born September 21, 1935, in New York City, and graduated from The Lawrenceville School. He entered Yale at age 17 where he majored in business and pledged the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. While at Yale, he completed ROTC training and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on June 1, 1956.

Following his initial officer training at Quantico, Virginia he served an extended tour on Okinawa. For years afterward, a favorite memory of his Okinawa experience was the ten-cent martinis at the Officer’s Club.

On another occasion in Okinawa, Jim volunteered to assist as an alter server during the Catholic Mass. The congregation was small, just three or four Marines. The next Sunday, the small church was filled to capacity. The Priest asked Jim if he knew why the congregation had grown so large so quickly. Without missing a beat, Jim replied “because they all wanted to see their Lieutenant on his knees.”

Eager to launch a business career, Jim separated from the Marine Corps as a Captain but never lost his Marine’s tenacity and spirit.

Jim joined Proctor and Gamble where he began his sales career in the food industry. For years he joyfully recalled his answer to the hiring interviewer’s question: “If you could know anything in the world right now, what would it be?” With that known twinkle in his eye Jim replied, “the winner of next week’s Kentucky Derby.”

One evening Jim’s Manhattan roommate received a ride home from the daughter of a family friend. Jim and the young lady had a short conversation in the apartment before she left. “Do you plan to date her?” Jim asked his roommate. “My parents would love that, but I already have a girlfriend.” “Good” Jim said, “because I’m going to marry her.” Their first date was to a football game at the Yale Bowl. Jim and the same young lady, Winifred Viguerie McCarthy (Winx to her friends), were married for 66 years.

After a few years, Jim moved from P&G to Hunt Wesson where he was offered two opportunities: the first in Detroit and the second in New Orleans, which happened to be Winx’s hometown. This is one of the few business decisions Jim did not participate in. They moved to New Orleans.

Jim served in New Orleans as President of Hunt Wesson’s Blue Plate Foods working out of its iconic building. When William B. Reily & Company bought Blue Plate Foods in 1974, Jim joined Reily where he rose to serve as President for many years and later Chairman of the Board following the death of his friend and mentor, William Boatner Reily III. Jim loved his working relationship with Boatner and his family and was proud of his contribution to the company’s success.

Throughout his life, Jim was an exceptional athlete and die-hard sports fan. Initially a fierce tennis player, injury turned his focus to golf where he carried a single digit handicap for many years. A lifelong Yankees and Saints fan, Jim and friends enjoyed 50 yard-line seats from the Saints’ first season, and he rarely missed a home game.

Those who challenged him to games of backgammon, gin rummy or bridge rarely came out on top.

Jim was a member of various social organizations in New Orleans and loved nothing better than gathering with friends during Carnival.

In later years, he looked forward to spending summers in the cool mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina, where he celebrated his 90th birthday singing and dancing to dueling pianos with friends and family.

Jim is survived by his beloved wife Winifred (Winx), and his five children Wendy Beron (Thomas), Shaun McCarthy (Paige), Megan Nelson (Willie), Moira Taylor (Frank) and Mason McCarthy (Kristi), his 11 grandchildren, Scout (Will), Emma, Callie (Jenkins), Connor, Winnie (Calder), Shaun, Grace, Kevin, Jack, Patricia and Annabel and two great grandchildren (Jack and Julia) along with his beloved sister, Patti McCarthy.

Jim was predeceased by his parents Callaghan and Josephine Hauck McCarthy and his sister Joy McCarthy Baxter.

A Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, August 1st at 11:00am at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with visitation from 9:30am—11:00am.

Your support and prayers for Jim mean the most to our family. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to a charity of your choice.

Always proud of his family’s Irish heritage, we bid Jim farewell with a slight variation of his favorite Hibernian toast:

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again Dad,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.