Laurel McCarthy passed away September 9, 2016 at Community Hospice at St. Vincent's hospital in Jacksonville of complications from a stroke. She was 92.

She was born Laurel Crawford November 15, 1923 in Macclenny Florida, the daughter of Robert and Pearl Crawford. She is survived by her husband John J McCarthy, Sr. (Johnny), her three sons Michael, Patrick, and Jack (John Jr.), brother and sister-in-law Larry and Kathleen Crawford, sister and brother-in-law Mary Jo and Calvin Morgan, sister-in law Eva Lee Crawford, and daughters-in-law Janis, Jan, and Kayla. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Chris, Shannon, Shawn, Kristen, Andy, and Danny McCarthy; and five great-grandchildren: Carter, Hannah, Allie, Ella, and Bodhi.

Laurel graduated from Andrew Jackson high school. She attended radio operator training at the beginning of World War II, and was certified as a radio operator third-class. She later went to work for Southern Bell Telephone Company, working in the disbursements department calculating and printing pay checks.

She met John McCarthy when his Coast Guard cutter, the Unalga, was overhauled at the Jacksonville shipyards for convoy duty in WWII. They were married in New York City in Saint Michaels Church on 34th St. on June 11, 1944. In 1946, Johnny was discharged from the Coast Guard and took a job with Southern Bell in Jacksonville Florida. Laurel raised three boys and gave them all a love of reading. She and her sisters Madge and Mary Jo loved to play board games and card games like poker. Laurel loved to bowl and played in local leagues for many years. After retirement she and Johnny traveled all over the United States in their motorhome, traveling as far as Alaska. They visited many national parks.

There will be a viewing and eulogies at Arlington Park Funeral Home (6920 Lone Star Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32211 (904) 724-6384) on Friday, September 16 at 6 PM.

A funeral mass will be held at Christ the King Church in Arlington (720 Arlington Rd N, Jacksonville, FL 32211) on Saturday September 17 at 11 AM, followed by a reception in the church social hall from 12 to 2pm. Burial services will follow at Restlawn Cemetery (2600 Ribault Scenic Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32208 (904) 764-7535)
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either the Alzheimer's Association http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_donate.asp or Northeast Florida Community Hospice https://support.communityhospice.com/donate