James A. McCarthy

James A. McCarthy passed away on the morning of Tuesday, April 5th in San Francisco, California. He is survived by his wife, June, his six children, sixteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Born in 1935, in Buffalo, New York, Jim was the youngest of three children. As a child, he enjoyed playing all sports, especially basketball, and he learned the value of hard work by delivering newspapers in his family-friendly neighborhood in the Buffalo suburbs. He attended both Canisius High School and Canisius College, playing basketball for both schools. The highlight of his college career came in the 1956 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden, when his last-second assist to lifelong pal, Frank Corcoran, led to the game winning shot, an improbable upset of #2 ranked NC State, and a spot in the Elite 8.

After graduating college in 1956, Jim moved to New York City and started his career working for Bankers Trust. He received his MBA at NYU at night, refereeing basketball games on the side to help provide for his young family. In 1962, he was recruited to Merrill Lynch and there he would spend the next 34 years of his storied Wall Street career. In 1976, he moved west to run the firm’s San Francisco office, ultimately managing Institutional Sales for the West Coast. He was asked to move back to New York in 1986 to become Director of Global Institutional Sales and served in that role for 10 years, before returning to San Francisco and retiring in 1996. Jim took great pride in contributing to the “Mother Merrill” culture, mentoring those who reported to him, treating staff like family, and providing opportunities to anyone willing to put in the work.

All of Jim’s achievements, in business and otherwise, would not have been possible without his wife, June, who was his true partner in life. Jim and June met in high school, dated in college, and married in 1959. Together, “Papa” and “June Bug” raised their six children, and to them family was everything. They were a constant presence in their children’s, and grandchildren’s, lives, attending more sporting events, first communions, and graduation ceremonies than one could ever imagine. They raised their children to be each other’s best friends, and these values have carried on to the next generation. For the last fifty-five summers, their home on Cape Cod has served as the gathering place for the family (and many friends!), and they always found a way to squeeze another seat at the table. Dinners for 20 or more were not uncommon, filled with great food, abundant wine, and lots of laughter and love. Jim was a true patriarch, a larger than life presence in his large, close-knit family, whose members affectionately refer to themselves as “Papa’s Pride.”

When Jim decided to get involved in a project, he did so with unrelenting enthusiasm, integrity, and conviction. In 1998, after his retirement from Merrill Lynch, needing to fill his spare time and fueled by a desire to give back to the community, he and June started the BASIC Fund. What began as a partnership to provide scholarships at several local schools quickly expanded to over 300 schools across the Bay Area. Twenty five years later, the BASIC Fund has provided over $140 million in scholarship support, helping more than 25,000 Bay Area children attend their school of choice. While helped by an accomplished and philanthropic Board, Jim remained the most effective fundraiser for the BASIC Fund and its biggest cheerleader. He was an irresistible force on a noble mission. In the words of Sister Marian Rose from St. Peter’s Catholic School: “Jim made miracles happen.”

Golf played a major role in Jim’s life. Many of his closest friendships started on a golf course, and golf took him and June around the world on various trips over the years. He cherished his time on the course with friends and family, and some of his favorite memories were golf trips he took with his three sons later in his life. Over the years, he was a member of several clubs on both coasts, but he was most active at his beloved San Francisco Golf Club, where he served on the membership committee for many years. He enjoyed nothing more than a round with the “gang” at SFGC, with a glass of wine and a game of dominoes to follow. Jim also cherished his time as a member of the US Seniors’ Golf Association, where he was the West Coast Membership Chair for several years.

While faced with declining health later in his life, he accepted his health challenges and faced them the same way he faced his life, with amazing strength and courage. It has been said that a person’s true wealth is the good he does in the world. If true, Jim McCarthy left this world a rich man.

Jim is survived by his wife, June, his children Molly (Jim Cheney), James, Jr. (Fran), David (Lyn), Karen Lynch, Michael (Kristen), and Maura O’Hearn (Bobby), sixteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Respecting his wishes, the family will be celebrating Jim’s life privately. As a tribute, the family would be grateful for gifts to the BASIC Fund, 1301 Clay Street, #70450, Oakland, CA 94612 or at BasicFund.org

Phil escaped the grip of Parkinson’s Disease on February 9, 2022, surrounded by his family, listening to his favorite music, and hearing recollections of happy times.

Philip was born on January 25, 1946 in Manchester, England, the second of four children, into a close and loving family. After completing his law degree at Holborn College of Law, London University, Phil moved to San Francisco in 1970, where he had previously met his future wife, Susan Evans. He and Susan were married for over 47 years.

Phil became an attorney in California and provided pro-bono assistance to many. His career, however, became the hotel business in San Francisco, which he found to be more enjoyable. Phil was well-known in the local hotel industry and was the recipient of the San Francisco Hotel Hero Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Phil was known for his wonderful sense of humor, wit, intelligence, kindness, and unassuming nature. Phil had the special gift of making other people feel comfortable. He was famous for his stories, which became better with each telling. Phil was a talented soccer and tennis player and a lifelong fan of Manchester United.

Besides his wife Susan, Phil is survived by his children, Christopher, David, and Sara Henry Dinwiddie, son-in-law Chris Dinwiddie, and granddaughter Harper. He is also survived by his sister, Barbara Buchan, and his brother, Peter Henry, and a large extended family in England.

Phil will be missed and remembered with fondness and love. Donations are encouraged to any Parkinson’s Foundation.