Donald James McCarty

Donald James McCarty

(June 27, 1924-2018*)

Donald James McCarty was elected mayor of Gig Harbor, Washington, in November, 1985.  He served in that capacity until 1989.  His obituary was published in The Peninsula Gateway on June 21, 2018.  However the date of death was not included in the obituary.  In the event you did not see the obituary I am reproducing it below.

Donald J. McCarty

Born Donald James McCarty on June 27, 1924 in a sod house in Garden County, Nebraska, Don’s family moved to Yelm, Washington in 1928, where Don attended school and graduated from high school in Darington, WA in 1942.  In March of 1943, Don entered the U.S.Army and served for 6 years with most of the time in the Air Corps (now the Air Force) before being honorably discharged.  During his time in the military, Don met Betty Amp and the two were married in January of 1946.  Don and Betty would spend the next three years attached to the American Embassy in Dublin, Ireland.  While they lived in Ireland, they established many lifelong friendships, which in the following years several trips were enjoyed visiting the Downey, Cronin and Ongley families on their respective homelands of Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.  A son, Donald J. McCart, Jr. was born in Dublin, Ireland on September 2, 1946. 

After leaving the military in late 1948, Don completed advanced courses in aviation maintenance.  In 1949 the family moved to the Midland area of Pierce County, WA where they resided for the next 23 years.  A daughter, Diane, was born in Tacoma on December 8, 1954.  Don entered into employment in March 1950 at McChord Air Force Base where he was employed until September 1980.  Fifteen of those years were spent as Maintenance and Engineering Advisor on the F-106 Fighter.  After his retirement, Don and Betty moved to their new home in Gig Harbor, WA.  During that time, Don worked as a realtor, a mortgage banker, while continuing his service to the Southeast Tacoma Mutual Water Company where he was a member of the Board of Directors as well as Company President, and he also served as President of the Gig Harbor Historical Society.  Don helped found the Pierce County Regional Water Association and worked on several water studies and committees.  Don served on the Gig Harbor City Council for two years before becoming Mayor of Gig Harbor in 1986, where he served for four years, one of his proudest accomplishments.

Don spent his final years in the Phoenix, AZ area after moving in 2014 to remain nearby surviving family.  Don is survived by his children Diane and Don Jr. grandchildren Sean (Fidler), Kendra, Kyle and Kara (McCarty), and great grandchildren Aidan, Elizabeth and Ronan (Fidler).  Fond and lifelong memories go to our special friends and families in Ireland and New Zealand.  Special thanks to Rowena, Gatrene and the rest of the staff at Aegis at Redwood Assisted Living Home for such compassionate care during Don’s final years.  Private services will be held by the family at the Haven of Rest in Gig Harbor, WA.

There is a copy of an interview with Don in the Harbor History Museum Research Room dated January 13, 2010.  Don and his wife, Betty, first became volunteers with the museum when they moved to Gig Harbor, and eventually became President of the Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society (dab Harbor History Museum).   

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