January 20, 2026

Linn County News

Published January 21, 2026

Gary Andrew McCarty, age 76, San Diego, Calif., passed away Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. Gary was born June 1, 1949, in Mound City, Kan. Gary was proceeded in death by his parents, Don Herschel and Caroljean McCarty, and his grandparents, John Quincy and Myrtle McCarty and Emery and Frances June Holt Dewey.

He graduated from the Hiawatha, Kan., High School class of 1967. Gary graduated with a degree in accounting from Brown Mackie College in 1974. He worked for the gas company in Kansas City, Mo. He married Carol Cantrill (McCarty) in 1975, and they resided in the Country Club Plaza Kansas City, Mo. His job at the Sperry Rand Corporation moved them to Sunnyvale, Calif., in 1980. From 1984 they lived in Santa Cruz and San Jose, Calif., and then divorced in the early 1990s. Gary then worked at Trend Tec and Centgram remaining in San Diego, Calif. 

Gary loved music, the ocean beaches, watching football (SF 49ers and KC Chiefs) and watching baseball (SD Padres and KC Royals). His main interests were computer technology. Also, his father’s military history and the airplanes he flew in the U.S. Army Airforce, served in 50 missions, in Burma stationed in Calcutta, India, deceased 1968. Gary also loved hearing about his nieces and nephews.

Gary is survived by his brother Larry McCarty, wife Georgia, and family; sister Nancy Johnson, husband David, and family; and sister Dawn Godard, husband Jeff, and family.

Gary’s memorial was held on Oct. 1, 2025. He had a burial at sea ceremony with his ashes and flowers into the Pacific Ocean, in the San Diego north bay harbor and Coronado Island. Beautiful sunny day.