McCARTY, Eric

McCARTY, Eric Paul

Of Kettering, 93, died May 14 at Hospice of Dayton. A born storyteller, he displayed throughout his life a gregarious

nature and a genuine joy in life and other people. Eric was born in New York City, the second of Olga and Mathew McCarty's five children. He was reared in Alexandria, Indiana, where Eric enjoyed small-town farm life until his fat

her moved the family to Dayton in 1942 to be part of the war effort. Eric joined the Army shortly after graduating from

Wilbur Wright High School in Dayton in June, 1945 . He was a proud World War II veteran who served his country in the Philippines. At the encouragement of his lifelong friend Tom McGlone, Eric enrolled at Miami University on the GI Bill. He immersed himself in college life, playing freshman football as a defensive tackle alongside future coaching legends Bo Schembechler and Ara Parseghian. Eric graduated with a business degree in 1951 and remained a loyal Miami fan all his life, attending nearly every home game. In 1950 Eric's sister Aggie introduced him to one of her fellow writers at the Dayton Daily News, Vera Seiler. She proved to be his perfect match in wit, charm and vivacity, and they married Aug. 1, 1953, at St. Anthony Church in Dayton. Eric and Vera had the good fortune to settle on Robertann Drive in Kettering, where they became charter members of the "Robertann Rowdies," a group of close-knit neighbors who bonded over building neighborhood floats and mixing drinks at block parties. The next-door clan, headed by Dick and Eleanore Bertrand, became family in ways that were necessary for the parents' sanity and the children's survival. The Robertann address served as social center, port-in-a-storm, and de facto home for extended family, K.O. Times reporters, wayward youth, and traveling musicians. An extra seat could always be found at Eric's and Vera's kitchen table. Amidst this lively setting, Eric earned his MBA from the University of Dayton and founded his business, Management Concepts. His formidable communication skills made his seminars effective, even memorable, for managers throughout the Midwest. Yet he always made time for bedtime stories, mostly from his own rich imagination -- and heaven forbid if subsequent versions varied from the original. As the children grew older the stories migrated to the dinner table, where Eric served up family favorites while encouraging independent thinking and spirited debate. Before his children had all left home, the grandchildren started arriving, nine in total. With them he shared his lifelong and varied interests of reading, Big Band music, Broadway musicals, hunting, fishing, and woodworking -- and taught them all the lyrics to his college fraternity songs. In retirement, he served on the board of the Miami chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, his fraternity. He was a charter member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Kettering, where he built the Welcome Center and crafted beautiful Baptismal boxes for countless children in the congregation. Even after losing his beloved Vera on Nov. 18, 2000, Eric gradually reclaimed his zest for life. His devoted friend Shirley Hoover added immeasurably to the happiness of the past 12 years, a kind, fun-loving and cheerful companion on adventures big and small. Eric sustained his wit, integrity, and interest in others, and in life, until the end. Through his last months, he was still delivering killer quips, hunting with his son, catching fish in his daughter's pond, and making jokes and connections with the nurses at the hospital. He was able to live at home thanks to the dedication of his children, his friend Kerry Carlos, and caregivers including Earl Pollock through the Dayton Council on Aging. Eric is survived by his six children and their spouses: Matt and Julie Rich McCarty of Kettering; Mary Jo McCarty and Jim Denker of Kettering;

Peggy McCarty and Jim Chapman of Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Beth McCarty and Linda Sterling of Cincinnati; Terri McCarty and Craig Steffen of Cincinnati; and Anne McCarty and Tim Norbut of Cincinnati. He is survived by nine grandchildren: Scott McCarty and his wife Gabrielle Tomeo and their son Benicio; John McCarty and his fiancee Brandy Mahaney May and their son Conor; Katherine McCarty and her fiancee Jamie Perin; Megyn Norbut; Alec and Natalie Denker; Emma Norbut; Joel Chapman; Veronica and Michael Catalano; and XiaoNi Denker. He also is survived by his brother Al McCarty and his wife Donna; his brother John McCarty; his sister Aggie Ash; and his sister-in-law Janet Seiler; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Sandy McCarty; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Clarke Ash; Marita and George Strattner; Frank Seiler; and Julie and Leo Krautmann. Family will greet friends 4-7PM on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at ROUTSONG FUNERAL HOME, 2100 E STROOP RD, KETTERING. Funeral Services will be 10AM on Wednesday, May 19, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 4865 Wilmington Pike, Kettering with Pastor Mark Carlson officiating. Services will be livestreamed at www.emmanuellc.org. Burial in

Calvary Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to

Hospice of Dayton or Children of Promise International at 6844 Loop Rd., Centerville OH 45429. Fond memories and

expressions of sympathy may be made at www.routsong.com.

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