Daniel McCarthy Sr. was born on the south side of Chicago in 1940 as the 8th out of 9 children. He was close with his 4 brothers and 4 sisters until he moved away to college in Washington, DC. He married and had his first son in Illinois in 1969, and then relocated to Florida in 1971. He had a 2nd son in Miami in 1973.
He was an entrepreneur to his core, and was always trying to strike out on his own and build a lasting enterprise for his family and community. It was this dream that brought him to the Villages area in 2009 to start up the Village Airport Van. He loved taxi cabs, politics, and advertising – and he loved the cut and thrust of vigorous debate most of all. If you gave him a minute he would share with you his history, his expertise, and how things haven’t changed in a hundred years.
He was forever the champion of the underdog, never backing down from anyone. In his years in South Florida, he sought justice for the little man and had taken down some Goliaths, and had city ordinances rewritten so the common man had a shot at taking over city contracts.
He always had an interest in travel and reading, and loved to sit down with his cup of coffee (black) and the New York Times crossword puzzle on Sundays. He delighted in making people laugh (or groan) with his bad jokes and puns, but his greatest joy were his 2 dogs and 5 grandsons.
He is survived by his two sons Daniel (50) and Bill (46) and his five grandsons Alex (16), Connor (14), Andrew (13), Samuel (12), and Ryan (9).
Visitation will be on Friday, January 17, 2020 from 1:00 – 7:00 pm at Beyers Funeral Home, 134 North Hwy 27/441. A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Timothy Catholic Church, Lady Lake, Florida.
