Obituary of Joseph Patrick McGourty

Joseph Patrick McGourty, age 99, of Villas passed away Friday, February 12, 2016. Joe was the son of the late Patrick and the late Rose (Dolan) McGourty. He was a strong but gentle man with a ready smile and twinkling blue eyes. As a teenager during the Depression, he worked at Taylor-Wharton Steel in High Bridge, NJ. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II and went to Rutgers on the GI Bill after the war. For many years he worked as a research chemist for Johns-Manville, first in Manville, NJ then in Denver, CO when their corporate headquarters was moved out West. Always an avid reader, hunter and fisherman, Joe also had time to serve with the High Bridge Fire Company and on the High Bridge town council. In Colorado, he led hikes and cross-country ski trips for the Colorado Mountain Club. He was also a devoutly religious Catholic and a member of the Holy Name Society for many years. Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Anna, and his oldest daughter, Mary Ann. Surviving are: his son Joseph F McGourty who resides in Denver, Colorado and his daughter Kathleen Horn in Villas, NJ. A grandson, Jeffrey Roye, lives in Milford, NJ. A Mass will be offered for the repose of Joseph's soul on Tuesday, March 2, 2016 at 9 AM at St John of God RC Church, 680 Townbank Rd, North Cape May, NJ 08204. Memorial contributions can be made to St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 9525 Third Ave, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247 with "The Branches" on the memo line. Interment will be at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. To share condolences, please visit www.evoyfuneralhome.com.