Robert F. "Bob" Mccarty

YORK- Robert F. “Bob” McCarty, 85, passed away on February 23rd, 2018, surrounded by family at York Hospital. Bob was born in Philadelphia in 1932, to Forrest M. McCarty and Helen (Farber) McCarty. He had one sister, Ruth L. McCarty, who predeceased him in 2016. Growing up, Bob attended Philadelphia city schools, and he graduated from Ursinus College in 1954, with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Psychology. During his college years, he worked summers as a counselor at the New England Music Camp in Maine, and he also worked at the state hospital in Norristown, PA. He served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956, and received an honorable discharge. He was assigned to Military Intelligence Special Operations in Germany and spoke fluent German. Bob worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He began his career with the Commonwealth as a caseworker and counselor at Youth Forestry Camp #1 and subsequently served as the Director of Youth Forestry Camp #3. When transferred to the Department of Public Welfare as Area Director in 1969, Bob and his family moved to York, PA. He worked in Harrisburg until he retired as a Welfare Program Specialist Supervisor in 1991. Bob had a lifelong interest and participation in music. Bob met his wife, Dorothy, singing duets at Ursinus, and they both sang with the York Chorus and the Bel Canto Singers for many years. His high tenor voice was also sought after for solo performances with numerous church choirs. Bob had a variety of hobbies. He read profusely, and he enjoyed a wide range of reading material and retained a vast wealth of knowledge. He loved music, and in addition to singing he played the autoharp and built a dulcimer which he also taught himself to play. He was a proficient chef who collected recipes and enjoyed cooking many different dishes, many of his own creation. He enjoyed crosswords and word puzzles, and began creating his own word puzzles as a hobby. This turned into a passion which ultimately led to the publication of a book of his puzzles, “Diabolical Word Puzzles“, written under the pen name “Areff McCarty”. Family members often referred to him as “The Ol’ Puzzlemaker”. He had a diverse sense of humor and could always be counted on for a good joke or pun. Bob is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dorothy (Schulz) McCarty; a son, David McCarty; a daughter, Sharon, and son-in-law, John Schemel; his grandchildren Brady and Misty (McCarty), as well as great-grandchildren. A private family service will be held at the Heffner Funeral Chapel, 1551 Kenneth Rd, York, PA. In lieu of flowers and in memory of Bob, tell a joke to make someone smile, or do a good deed or donate to the organization of your choice to help someone in need.