Andrew Mccarthy, Jr.

Andrew “Drew” Thomas McCarthy, Ph.D., 51, passed away on April 4, 2016. Drew was born October 3, 1964, in Tarrytown, N.Y., to Andrew McCarthy and Kathleen (Lineen) McCarthy. Drew married Carla (Williams) McCarthy in Virginia Beach, Va., 22 years ago. He graduated from Cathedral High School in Springfield, Mass., in 1982. He earned a Bachelor of Science in nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1986 and was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy upon graduation. Drew served for just over seven years as a helicopter pilot, including a deployment during the Gulf War with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 46, and was a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps instructor at Vanderbilt University. After completing his naval service as a lieutenant, Drew pursued a Master of Arts in theology at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., where he also taught religion at McGill-Toolen High School. Following their wedding, Drew and Carla, also a naval officer, first lived in Virginia Beach, Va., and then at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, where Drew served as a transition assistance program manager at the Fleet and Family Service Center. Upon Carla’s transfer to Washington, D.C., Drew began his doctoral coursework in theology and religious studies at the Catholic University of America. Their next duty station was Naples, Italy, where Drew conducted research and worked on his doctoral dissertation. While there, Drew and their family travelled extensively in Europe, providing them the opportunity to experience international culture and history. They returned to Virginia Beach, where Drew taught theology courses for Saint Leo University and completed his doctorate work with the defense of his dissertation. Drew and his family next moved to Jamestown, R.I., where Carla first attended and then became the public affairs officer for the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Drew continued to teach distance education as well as diaconate courses for Saint Leo and also began teaching as an adjunct professor for Salve Regina University in Newport. In 2009, Drew joined the full-time faculty at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass., where he became a tenured associate professor of humanities, teaching both theology and core humanities courses. He also was the director of Catholic and Pastoral Studies. Following Carla’s retirement from active duty, they relocated to Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Drew continued teaching online as an adjunct professor with Anna Maria College. Drew authored the book “Francis of Assisi as Artist of the Spiritual Life: An Object Relations Theory Perspective,” and published poetry; many book reviews; peer-reviewed academic journal articles; and articles in the “Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions” and the “New Catholic Encyclopedia.” Family was extremely important to Drew. In addition to his parents, and his loving wife Carla, he is survived by his five children Andrew, Kristjana, Kieran, Justin, and Juliana. He is also survived by siblings Gregory and wife Mary and their children Delia and Liam; Krystn (Hickman) and husband Bruce and their son Bobby; and Adam and wife Liz and children Philip, Anthony, and Mariana. Additionally, he was predeceased by his father-in-law Nathan Carlyle Williams, Jr., and is survived by his mother-in-law Joan Williams; brother-in-law Nathan Williams and wife Lisa and their daughter Emelia; sister-in-law Patricia “Patty” (Williams) Smith and husband Commander Robert “Butch” Smith, Jr., and their children Robert “Bobby,” Jacob, and Christian, and grand-nephew Robert “Hunter”; as well as many loving aunts, uncles and cousins. Drew had a great appreciation for spirituality, coffee, art, music, education, reflection, impromptu song and dance, conversation, poetry, joy, and life. Drew’s spirit lives on in others through his sharing as an organ donor. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, April 8, 2016, at 10 a.m. at St. Ann Catholic Parish, Gulf Breeze, Fla. In lieu of flowers, please consider your prayers and a contribution to a charity of your choice in Drew’s memory.

Service