Obituary of William A. McCoy

William A. McCoy, 92, of Stony Point, NY, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2023 surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He was born on May 24, 1931 in Brooklyn, NY to Arthur and Marie (Rose) McCoy.

Bill is reunited in Heaven with the love of his life, Ann A. (Flynn), better known as Nancy, his sons Michael D. and Richard G. McCoy, and his sister Arlene Cunningham. He is survived by many who will miss him dearly, including his beloved children Eileen Wood and husband Keith of Cornwall, his son William McCoy and wife Lisa of Highland Mills, daughter Kathleen Shroba of Stony Point, and daughter-in-law Dawn (Owens) McCoy of Fort Mill, SC; his 10 grandchildren Kristen (Frank), Briana, Kevin, Lianne, Christy Ann, Billy, Tara, Patrick, Kelsey and Kelly; his cherished great-grandchildren Hannah and Nolan; and his sister-in-law Joan Flynn of Highland. Also surviving are his numerous nieces and nephews, who knew him as Unkie.

Bill and Nancy married on February 2, 1957, celebrating over 60 years happily together. They moved to Stony Point in 1960 to raise their family, where they resided for the rest of their lives. Their beautiful love was the strong foundation for the McCoy family, creating lives full of laughter, traditions and support. His sense of humor was second to none, as he often said “he loves all of his grandchildren equally... except one.” They are still arguing about who that ‘one’ was. Above all, Bill loved his family deeply and if you knew him, you knew how true that was.

Bill attended Franklin K. Lane High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He was known for being the only two letter athlete in his class. He was invited to try out for both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Despite being from Brooklyn, he became an avid fan of the Yankees. He attended his first major league baseball game with his mother, which was the 1956 World Series perfect game pitched by Don Larsen, between the Dodgers and the Yankees. His love for sports continued as Coach for the Stony Point Little League at the Minor, Major, and Senior League levels; the North Rockland H.S. Freshman and Junior Varsity basketball teams; and the St. Gregory Barbarigo CYO basketball program. He served as a baseball umpire and basketball referee for Rockland County High Schools for many years. Bill also founded the North Rockland Summer Basketball League at Stony Point’s Lowland Park.
Bill served in the U.S. Army, spending time at Fort Eustis, VA and Camp Kilmer, NJ, and stationed at Thule, Greenland. He was also a proud member of the New York City Fire Department. He was appointed in 1957 as a Firefighter at Ladder 13, and promoted to Lieutenant at Ladder 22, both in Manhattan. He was cited for meritorious acts on six different occasions, received a Unit Citation in 1980, and retired from L22 on September 19, 1987.

Bill was a founding member, past President, and a Board of Governors member for the North Rockland Social Club. He and Nancy were parishioners at St. Gregory Barbarigo in Garnerville.

Visitation will be held on Monday, September 25, 2023 from 4–8 PM at TJ McGowan Sons Funeral Home, 71 N. Central Highway Garnerville, NY 10923. Mass of Christian burial will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 11 AM at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church, Garnerville, followed by interment at Ascension Cemetery in Airmont. In lieu of flowers, donations can bemade in Bill’s memory to the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation, https://www.nyffburncenter.com/