Richard “Dick” McCarthy , formerly of the town of Summit, Langalde County died Monday, January 27, 2020, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. He was 89 years old. He was born on June 7, 1930, in Burlington, a son of John and Eva (Shields) McCarthy. He married Kathleen McCourt on October 29, 1955, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Burlington. She survives. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1949 and attended Spencerean College in Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He served in the United States Marine Corps Second Batallion, First Marines Fox Company, First Marine Division from September 19, 1951 to September 19, 1953 having been in combat in Korea as a communication lineman. As a young man he worked for his father as a beer distributor and later purchased the business and operated it as White-Fox Distributing. As the industry changed he became a salesman in southeastern Wisconsin. For 23 years Dick was a volunteer on the Burlington Fire Department, Hose Company #1. In 1978 he began a career as a salesman for Merrill Candy and Distributing having achieved the recognition as the first of their salesmen to reach the one million dollar mark in sales. His territory included Langlade, Lincoln and Oneida counties. He retired in 1995. He will be remembered as a great story teller who enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing cribbage. As a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Elcho he lived out his faith daily. He was also a member of the American Legion Post in Burlington and a life member of the Gleason Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. In 2014 Dick was honored to participate in the Never Forgotten Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
Survivors including his wife are four daughters, Colleen (Rick) Kist, Wausau, Karen (Michael) Bassi, Waukesha, Kay Dee (Russell) Lange, Gleason, Jan (Rich) Nisleit, Silver Cliff; eight grandchildren Brian (Amanda) Kist, Bridget (Ben) Condon, Michael A. “Mick” Bassi and finace Alex, Joseph Bassi and fiance Erika, Patrick (Rachael) Bassi, Kevin (Stephanie) Lange, Gregory Lange and finace Jamie, Kelsey (Brad) Beyer; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mary Block, Burlington, Edna (Wenzel) Smetana, LaCrosse; two brothers, William McCarthy, Oshkosh, Michael McCarthy, Oakland, Calif; two sisters-in-law, Theresa McCarthy, Burlington, Joan McCarthy, California. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by two brothers, John R. and Thomas McCarthy; a brother-in-law, Jerry Block; two sisters-in-law, Mary Kay McCarthy, and Marise “Honey” McCarthy.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at 11 a.m. at St. John Catholic Church 415 Sixth Ave, Antigo, with Rev. Mathew Simonar officiating. Burial will take place in spring at the Town of Summit Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted following services at the church. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday at the Bradley Funeral Home, Antigo and conclude with reciting of the rosary at 7 p.m. Visitation on Tuesday will be at the funeral home from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678. Online condolences at www.bradleyfh.com.