Retired Watertown Fire Department Captain & Past President of the Professional Fire Fighters of MA Robert B. McCarthy of Watertown, passed away on December 6, 2022, at the age of 77.
Beloved husband of Dorothy F. (Maurer) McCarthy. Loving father of State Trooper Robert B. McCarthy, Jr. & his wife Jane of Framingham, Sandra E. MacInnis of Framingham, and Suzanne T. McCarthy of Watertown. Devoted son of the late Joseph, Sr. & Doris (Gildea) McCarthy. Dear brother of Carol O’Grady & her husband Michael of Framingham, Paul McCarthy of Lexington, Edward McCarthy & his wife Janice of Billerica, and the late Joseph McCarthy, Jr. & his surviving wife Jeanette, and the late Dianne McCarthy McKinnon. Loving grandfather of Matthew & Kevin McCarthy, Joey, Sean, & Avery MacInnis. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and firefighters throughout the country.
United States Navy Veteran, Vietnam. Retired Captain from the Watertown Fire Department. He was appointed to the department in October 1967, and retired October 2001 after 34 years. From August 1987 to present he has been the President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, representing over 12,000 paid professional union fire fighters in nearly 200 locals across the Commonwealth.
His professional affiliations included Massachusetts State Representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters, Board of Directors for Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Jobs for Massachusetts, Trustee of Fitchburg State College from 1990 to 1999, Trustee of the University of Massachusetts from 1999 to present, Vice President of Massachusetts AFL/CIO, and Chairman of Federation of State & Provincial Professional Fire Fighters Association.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Tuesday December 13, 2022, in St. Patrick Church, 212 Main St., Watertown at 11 a.m. Visiting hours will be held in the MacDonald Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Home on Monday, December 12, from 4 to 8 p.m. with a walkthrough for First responders from 3 to 4 p.m. Interment will be held in the MA National Cemetery in Bourne on Wed. Dec. 14, at 1:15 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bob memory may be made to the First Responders Children’s Foundation 38 East 32nd St., Suite 602 New York, NY 10016 or at www.1strcf.org
Very sad to hear. A good man and a great leader for working people!