Joe R. McCartney's Obituary
Joe Roy McCartney, age 92, Mt. Dora, Florida, slipped peacefully away on Thursday, February 16, 2017, in his home surrounded by his loving family. Joe Roy was born on August 30, 1924 to Rosa Rebmann McCartney and John Wesley McCartney in Boyd, Oklahoma. Soon afterward his family moved to Texas, near Austin, and that is where he spent his childhood. At the age of 15 he, surreptitiously, joined the Army and went through basic training in San Antonio, TX. When WWII broke out his company, part of the 2nd Indianhead Division, was secretly shipped to Ireland where they prepared for the surprise landings in Normandy, specifically Omaha Beach, on D Day. After the landing at “bloody Omaha” and the arduous battle to get off the beach, his company engaged in the 2 months long campaign to take Hill 192. The eventual capture of this high ground led to the final breakthrough” to St Lo and the subsequent liberation of Paris. He was a skilled marksman, or sniper, and among his awards at the end of the war were 2 Bronze Stars. Following WWII he was honorably discharged and returned to Austin where he married his childhood sweetheart, Mattie (Vickie) Barber. He soon felt compelled to re-enter military service and re-enlisted in the Air Force. During his Air Force career he was stationed in many cities and states, the most interesting being Alaska, where he learned to fly small aircraft, and Japan. He ended his career at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina and in 1963 he retired. After retirement he moved his family to Daytona Beach, Florida. There he attended Mary Karl Vocational School, which was a part of what is now called Daytona Beach State College. When he finished the cabinetmaking course he was taking he was offered a teaching position and taught the course for a while. In 1967 Joe and Vickie bought a lot just north of Flagler Beach. There Joe single handedly built their rough cut cypress board and batten dream house under the canopy of majestic oaks and overlooking the tranquil Intracoastal Waterway. A love of collecting antiques, Depression glass, and vintage perfume bottles led them to venture all over the United States in their motor home, finding treasures in little shops and thrift stores. Joe said that he had been in every state and had traveled on every major highway in the entire continental United States. He and Vickie made many trips to the annual International Perfume Bottle Association conventions and to the yearly reunions of both the 2nd Infantry Division and also to those of Company F, a gathering of his closest wartime buddies. He also discovered an organization, Veterans of Underage Military Service, VUMS for short, which was created to bring together all those men and women like him that had enlisted before they were of legal age. He traveled to different cities every year to attend their annual gatherings. Some of his travel took him abroad. He and Vickie, along with other family members, made a number of back packing treks through Europe, usually for a month or more at a time. They also once flew to Australia, bought and outfitted an old van and spent 5 months driving around the perimeter of the country before flying on to New Zealand for another month before coming home. There were several cruises, one through the Panama Canal and a 2 weeks trip up the west coast on the luxurious American Orient Express. The one trip that meant the most to him though was in June of 2004. He was invited by the French government to come back to Normandy to receive a medal and participate in the 60tth anniversary celebration of D Day. During President Bush’s speech on the day of the ceremony he sat between Condoleezza Rice and General Colin Powell. Also there for the ceremony were Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. They asked him and the other veterans how accurate their portrayal of the Omaha Beach landing scene had been in their recently released movie “ Saving Private Ryan”. When he was at home Joe was an avid flounder fisherman and friends and family all grew to relish the sumptuous fried flounder dinners he would prepare. He was very active in efforts to protect the wetlands and pristine nature of his beloved “Hammock” area of Flagler County. He was a founding member of The Friends of the Barrier Island, and helped lobby for their protection at the state level. As much as he loved travel, adventure and fishing, he loved his family more. He especially delighted in his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be missed by all those who knew him. Don’t cry because he is gone. Smile because he was here…… for 92 years ! He is survived by his wife, Mattie Pearl (Vickie) McCartney, Mount Dora, FL, his sister Lula Bell McCartney Rose, Austin, TX, his daughter Eve Hope McCartney Carter (Rick), Mount Dora, FL, his son Robert Kirk McCartney (Faith), Lee Hall, VA, his daughter Vickie Jo McCartney Ball (Geoff), Montverde, FL, his granddaughter Erica Rachelle Carter Wilhelm (Matthew), Mount Dora, FL, his granddaughter, Erin Nicole Carter Heft (Jason), Mount Dora, FL, his granddaughter Eve Lauren Carter, Mount Dora, FL, his grandson Bobby Brian McCartney (Erin), Williamsburg, VA, his grandson Justin Scott McCartney (April), Poulsbo, WA, his grandson Chad Joseph McCartney, Lee Hall, VA, his grandson Robert Kirk McCartney, Jr., Lee Hall, VA, his grandson Randall Evan Ball, Montverde, FL, his great-grandchildren, Jacqueline Wilhelm, 25, Nicholas Wilhelm, 19, Mattie Heft, 15, Vivian Heft, 13, Eva Heft, 11, Alden McCartney, 6, Brent McCartney, 3, Makayla McCartney, 9, Jana McCartney, 5, and Angeline McCartney, 3. A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 1:00PM at Steverson Hamlin & Hilbish Funeral Home, Tavares. Interment with military honors will follow at Pine Forest Cemetery, Mt. Dora. Arrangements have been entrusted to Steverson, Hamlin & Hilbish Funerals and Cremations, 226 E. Burleigh Blvd., Tavares, FL 32778, (352)343-4444. Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall at www.steversonhamlinhilbish.com
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