Obituary of John Russell McCarthy

McCARTHY, Dr. John Russell (Jack) B.A., B.Paed., M.A., Ed.D., LL.D. Passed away at Toronto on February 15, 2006 in his ninety-first year. He is survived by his daughter, Judith Ann Manson and his grandsons, Scott M. Manson and J.J. Manson. He was predeceased by his wife, Isabelle J. (Asquith), by his parents, Sylvester E. (Wes) McCarthy and Nellie M. (McGar), and his sister, Rita B. Martin. After attending North Bay Normal School, Jack began his teaching career in a one-room rural school in Lee Valley, near Webbwood, his place of birth. He later taught in North Bay and Kingston. Upon graduation from Queen�s University in Arts he was the youngest person appointed to the Inspection of Schools Branch of the then Ontario Department of Education. After service in the Welland area, he was Inspector of Public Schools in Frontenac County, North York and Forest Hill Village. He held numerous positions in the Ontario Department of Education before becoming the first Deputy Minister of University Affairs. On behalf of the government, he played an important role in the development of new universities in Ontario and in the expansion of existing universities. Later, he returned to the Department of Education as Deputy Minister, where he provided leadership in the fields of curriculum, administration and organization. Upon retirement from public service, he became an Associate Professor of Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (U of T). Dr. McCarthy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen�s University, B.Paed., (U of T), M.A. (Columbia) and honourary degrees of Ed.D., (Nipissing), LL.D. (McMaster and Queen�s). He was recently named Distinguished Alumnus of Nipissing University. In 1949, he received his Master of Arts degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. In 1952-53 he was the recipient of the William E. Pakenham Fellowship in Education from the University of Toronto which was tenable for a year of full-time study, again at Columbia. He was a member of two honourary societies in education, Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Delta Kappa, in chapters at Columbia. He served for several years as a member of the Senate of Knox College (U ot T). Dr. McCarthy took an active interest in community affairs in Leaside where he resided for 44 years. He was an elder in Leaside Presbyterian Church, a former president of the Leaside Property Owners� Association and was twice elected to the East York Board of Education, where he served one term as Chairman of the Board. Dr. McCarthy was a skilled athlete in baseball, fastball and tennis. One of the teams he played on won an Ontario championship and was inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame. He served as President of the Canadian Education Association and was a life member of that organization. On a sabbatical leave in 1979, he attended the Institute of Education, University of London, England where he was named Visiting Scholar for that period. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME - A.W. MILES CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Eglinton Avenue East), from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Friday, February 17. The funeral service will be held in the chapel on Saturday at 2 p.m. followed by interment in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. A reception will be held in the Leaside Room of the funeral home following the interment. Thank you to the wonderful, caring staff of Belmont House and to Adella and Mayden, who participated so helpfully in Jack�s life over the past year. If desired, donations to Belmont House, 55 Belmont Street, Toronto M5R 1R1 would be appreciated.