John J. McCarthy

John Joseph McCarthy, longtime West Haven resident and loving husband of Margo Marchese McCarthy, entered into eternal rest on Monday, May 11, 2026. He was 84 years old.

John was born on April 30, 1942, to the late Richard and Dorothy Devitt McCarthy and grew up in Bridgeport with his brother and three sisters. Known for his sense of humor and mischief, John had a long history of pranking the ones he loved. His sisters Dorothy, Mary, and Eileen got the brunt of it, though his brother Richard was not spared. Despite much affectionate teasing, John was a faithful altar server and graduate of St. Joseph's School in Bridgeport, CT. After graduating from Bullard Havens Technical High School in Carpentry, John enlisted in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1961. He co-owned a construction business, McCarthy & Golightly, and then worked for himself as a carpenter and a builder for many years before finally spending 24 years at West Haven Lumber Company as a kitchen and bathroom designer. He was a devout Irish Catholic who was proud to serve as a Eucharistic Minister at Our Lady of Victory Church, his parish of over 40 years. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus and served as Grand Knight of the St. John Paul II Council in West Haven. In 2016, he was awarded the Archbishop’s St. Joseph Medal in honor of his exemplary service over many years to Our Lady of Victory parish. When he was not serving the church, he would be woodworking in his basement, and his creations are in the homes of most of his friends and family. He could also be found riding his Harley-Davidson with the local H.O.G. Chapter, tooling around in his Corvette, cruising the Caribbean with his beloved wife Margo, or just being an all-around great Dad, Papa, husband, and friend.

In addition to his wife Margo, John is survived by his children Tara McCarthy, Chris (Erika) McCarthy, Erin (Frederick) McCarthy King, Michele (Robert) Danuszar, and John (Beth) McCarthy, Jr. as well as by his 10 grandchildren Ella and Lucy McCarthy, Cameron, Kelsey, Devin, and Alexander King, and Philip, Sophia, August, and Gianni Danuszar. He is also survived by his sisters Dorothy (Joseph) Broderick, Mary McCarthy, and Eileen McCarthy, and his sister-in-law Frances (Richard) McCarthy as well as many much-loved nieces and nephews.  In addition to his parents, John is predeceased by his brother Richard, his brother-in-law Joe, and his parents-in-law who loved him dearly, Yolanda and Justin Marchese.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, May 18 at 10:00 AM at Church of the Assumption in Ansonia. Friends may call at Jenkins-King & Malerba Funeral Home, 12 Franklin St, Ansonia on Sunday, May 17 between 2:00 and 4:00 PM. Following Mass, burial will be at Mt. St. Peter Cemetery, Derby. Donations in John’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.

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