Gene was a great leader and he had a good sense of humor.  He led with dignity through some difficult times.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with and for him.  Joseph Bridges

Elizabeth,
     Carolyn and I just received the sad news regarding the passing of Gene.  We send you our sincere sympathy.
      Even though he was in the class ahead of me at the Academy, I got to know Gene well through our time together on the baseball team.  After we graduated we went our separate ways but then again reconnected through our involvement with the Alumni Foundation, although his role was much more significant than mine.    As  President of that organization he demonstrated his strong commitment to our beloved Academy and our school is all the better for his efforts.   
      Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
                                                         Carolyn and Bruce Howie

Dear Elizabeth,

Heartfelt condolences on Gene's demise.  May his soul rest in peace.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you and family.

With fond memories, 
Shashi

Gene was a good friend and I am saddened at his passing.  I first met Gene at Naval Reserve drill through Larry Byers.   We all drilled with the MSTS Reserve unit at the Lakefront in New Orleans.  Through the years we kept in touch and when he became President of Lykes he maintained his humble demeanor and did not forget his friends.  We had many enjoyable lunches at Mr. B's Bistro where we took turns paying for lunch.  We used to joke that when it was my turn, Gene said it was OK to go to Burger King.   After Lykes moved to Tampa,  he  would come by my office to chat when he had time.  
 I am sorry about his passing and the world has lost a great human being, but God had other plans for him.  Guess he needs someone to run a steamship company in heaven. 

My condolences to the family. 

Gene was a year ahead of me at Kings Point, and from his obituary, it appears he lived the school model, “Acta non Verba.”

We need more people like him who share their abundance with others. He helped the US MMA Alumni  Association in many ways and we are thankful for that service.

God bless the family,

Gerard F Havasy ‘65

Gene was always an inspiration for me and the rest of the officers who were members our Navy Reserve unit (MSC 8-1) when he was our Executive Officer; so it was no surprise that he went on to lofty goals and positions at Lykes Bros. and was tremendously liked and respected in the marine industry when he and Barton provided sage advice from the McCormick-Jahncke Group. All that said, Gene was someone about whom it could be genuinely said "He was really a Good Guy."
May God rest his soul and comfort his family.

Elizabeth,

I was saddened today when I heard of Gene's passing.  A wave of memories rushed over me.  It was an honor for me to have worked with such a great man.  I wanted to extend my deepest condolences. My prayers will be with Gene, you and his family.

Ricky 

Dear Elizabeth and Family,
Pat and I extend our heartfelt condolences to you at this sad time. 
 We have all lost someone who added value to our lives.  Gene's success in the shipping industry, rising from Third Mate to President of a major shipping company, inspired many Kings Pointers.  He was a friend at the Academy and afterward, and became an especially close friend when we were worked together in the USMMA Alumni Association and Foundation.  Gene was a strong leader who employed his business management skills to help us strengthen and enlarge the role and influence of the Alumni Association in the maritime industry.  We shared many experiences together, and Gene was always willing to take the laboring oar.
Love to you all, and may God Bless Gene and His Family
Jim Shirley




Many, many poignant thoughts and memories from the years I spent at Lykes Bros. and the McCormick Jahncke Group with Gene.  He was a wise and thoughtful leader, mentor, and friend.



Dear Erin,

Your Dad will be in my prayers along with you and your family. I remember him as a kind gentleman. I know you will miss him. He was a great asset to Cabrini and the Cabrini Family.
Love, Mrs. Terry Heller

I remember Gene as a charismatic and innovative leader with a great sense of humor.  His leadership led Lykes Lines through difficult times.  I feel fortunate to have known and worked for him.

Gene, It was a pleasure to know you and work together for many years. You were always the consummate professional and  a caring leader. May you rest in peace. Deepest condolences, Gary

I'm so sorry to hear of Mr. McCormick's passing.  

Coach was a major and wonderful part of my childhood summers on the baseball diamond.  Those were great years in Algiers/New Orleans with great friends, teammates, and families.  Thank you, Coach McCormick.  Rest In Peace.    

Elizabeth, my prayers are with you and all your family as you share memories of Gene and hold those as treasures forever. 

A lasting memory for me is the day he came to our Cabrini Mission Foundation Office in NYC on the day of the horrific 9-11 attack. He was talking with you on his cell phone as he approached our building and when he saw me asked me to assure you that he was all right. He had walked from the Financial district to our location with a friend knowing it would be a safe place. You asked me to take care of him; we did.

A strong leader, and an honest and fair man. He always had the time to evaluate and understand all sides of an issue. I learned a lot from Gene.
Our prayers are with Gene and his family.

Elizabeth,
I was saddened to hear of Gene's passing.  We had some good times together at the Academy, in New Orleans and here in Chicago.

You might enjoy this picture of Gene taken in 2007 at the Breakbulk Conference in New Orleans when the Journal of Commerce honored him for his work with the KP Alumni Association.

Please accept my deepest sympathies on your loss.
Peter Devlin

Dear Mrs. Wetzel-McCormick: 

My name is Cristina Fernandez-O'Toole (KP '11).  You may not remember me, but you and Mr. McCormick were my sponsor family my plebe year at Kings Point. My grandfather (Larry O'Toole, KP '64) was a classmate of Mr. McCormick's. I learned of Mr. McCormick's passing from my grandfather today. 

I wanted to reach out to express my deepest condolences. I am sorry for your loss, and I send love, thoughts, and prayers to you and your family during this time of mourning. 

I will always remember the nice Cajun dinners at your house in Great Neck with you and Mr. McCormick, always feeling warmly welcomed and taken care of during my plebe year.

With caring thoughts,
Cristina

My prayers go out to Gene's family for their loss, memories live forever.  I will always see Gene with his warm welcoming smile.  Gene was my connection to my Dad and his family before I was born as he would share the stories.  God Bless

While president of  KP national alumni Gene passed through Cleveland OH.  Officers of our local alumni chapter met with Gene for an evening of cocktails and good memories.  I am sad to hear of his passing.  Prayers. Fred Bangeman ‘64

I was privileged to be Gene's U S Merchant Marine Academy 1964 classmate and shipmate during the last half of our sea year aboard SS FRANK LYKES to Africa and JOHN LYKES to  Northern Europe and happy to learn of his eventual promotion after graduation to President of Lykes Lines.

It was also good to meet up again after many years at either our 45th or 50th class reunions.

Heartfelt condolences to the family.



The Hayes family sends our sincere condolences to Liz, Jim, Erin and the entire extended family. Gene was larger than life and will be missed. His life continues through his children and grand-children, who we love more than anything. 

Eddy, Christina, Darby, and Bradan Hayes 

Gene, or "Clean Gene" as he was known (for his bright smile) to us in his plebe section at Kings Point,  was a hard-working and exemplary  cadet at the Academy.   To no one's surprise, he rose to be a cadet officer in his senior year.  I never saw Gene again after graduation in 1964, but I followed his career in alumni and trade publications.  I was always proud to tell people that I knew the President of Lykes Lines personally.

OBITUARY

Eugene F. McCormick, Jr.

October 14, 1942 – January 13, 2021

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home & Cemeteries

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