Joseph F.X. McCarthy, 89, of North Branford, formerly of Guilford, died on July 15. He was the devoted husband of 61 years to the late Margaret Mahony McCarthy. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 2, 1922, his military career began in the U.S. Air Corps during World War II, where he served in the weather service and later retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a lieutenant colonel.

Joe leaves a legacy of superb scholarship. His career spanned nearly half a century of teaching, writing, and administration in New York City public schools and Fordham University, from which he retired as vice president of Academic Affairs.

Joe was a daily communicant, with deep faith that was evident in his active participation and support in every parish throughout his life. He frequently noted the essential trinity of his formation: his wife, the Jesuits, and the military. His encyclopedic wit and true commitment to family and friends will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his beloved children Margaret Murphy and her husband Edward, Mary Mahony McCarthy, Frank McCarthy and his wife Debby, Katherine Cahill and her husband John, Joan Gentile and her husband Richard, and Helen McCarthy. He is also survived by 21 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. George Church, 33 Whitfield St., Guilford on Wednesday, July 18, at 10 a.m.  Burial with military honors will follow in St. Agnes Cemetery, Route 1, Branford. Friends may call Tuesday, July 17, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St., Guilford. Memorial gifts may be made to the McCarthy Scholarship Fund, 441 East Fordham Rd., Bronx, NY 10458-5175, or to the Evergreen Woods Employee Scholarship Fund, 88 Notch Hill Rd., North Branford, CT 06471. To share a memory or leave a message of condolence for the family, please visit: www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.