Nicholas “Wright” McCartney, Sr., 88, of Tifton died Monday, July 12, 2010, at Tift Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 15, 2010, at Tifton’s First United Methodist Church. Rev. Glenn Martin and Rev. Stephen Webb will officiate with burial to be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 16, 2010, in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will be at Mr. McCartney’s home at 2212 Diana Avenue in Tifton.
Mr. McCartney was born on November 28, 1921 in Tifton and was the son of James Thomas McCartney, Sr. and Kate Wright McCartney, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Muriel Wash McCartney; one daughter, Mary Dabney McCartney, who died in 2009; and one brother, James Thomas McCartney, Jr.
Mr. McCartney graduated from Tifton High School in 1939, where he served as manager of the Tifton Blue Devils football team. He served in World War II in the United States Army Air Force as a B-17 pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, as well as the American Theater Medal; the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater Medal with three bronze battle stars; and the World War II Victory Medal. He was an Assistant Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America and loved golf, fishing and woodworking. He was retired as the Director of Underwriting for the Southeast Region with Maryland Casualty Company and a member of Tifton’s First United Methodist Church.
Mr. McCartney is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Nicholas Wright McCartney, Jr. and his wife, Edie, of Kent, Washington; one daughter, Carol Ann McCartney of Aurora, Colorado; one sister, Miriam Cauthen of Tifton; four grandchildren, Sean McEniry, Jacob McEniry, Kathryn “Katey” McEniry and Ian McEniry; their father, Douglas McEniry; and special friends, Karen Cook, Genger Stone, Charles Hill and Estelle Hilliard and her children. Mr. McCartney is also survived by several nieces and nephews.