Tom McCarthy
Thomas D. McCarthy
PITTSBORO NC- Thomas Daniel McCarthy, 62, of Pittsboro, died Monday, Sept. 7, 2009. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, 2009, at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake. Thomas had a bachelor of arts degree in education from Southwestern College and a master's degree in public administration from UNC-Charlotte. He was a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Program. He held an advanced law enforcement certificate. He was born June 10, 1947, in New York. Prior to serving in law enforcement, he served in the Coast Guard from 1964 to 1968. He also served as a school teacher and high school football coach in Wichita, Kan. He began his law enforcement career in 1977 as an officer in the Newport News (Va.) Police Department. He rose to the rank of police commander in 1983. He became chief of police in Gaston County in 1987. In 1993, he made a career change and worked as the chief of police in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In late 1994, he returned to Gaston County as the deputy county manager and in 1998, he returned to the position of Gaston County chief of police. He relocated to Fayetteville from 2001 to 2007 to serve as the Fayetteville chief of police. Most recently, he served as the interim chief of police in Hope Mills. In addition to working in law enforcement, he was a part of the adjunct faculty at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Methodist University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Thomas Nelson Community College. He strongly supported the American Heart Association and the United Way, and he was also a member of the N.C. Senate Emergency Preparedness and Asset Recovery Committee. His top priority in life was spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. He had a love of the ocean and football, and all things related to the military. He had a passion for contributing to his community through public service. He is survived by his wife, Lynn McCarthy; his three daughters, Rebecca Wells, Katie Greene and Laura McCarthy Monroe; brother, Kevin McCarthy; sister, Patricia Kehm; and two grandchildren, Jackson Caiden Greene and Thomas Patrick Wells. He was preceded in death by his parents, Patrick and Ellen McCarthy. Services entrusted to Reeves Funeral Home of Hope Mills.
09/13/09 Submitted by: 
Lee Sumners
