Joe Hankley McCarty
Joe Hankley McCarty, son of Cleve and Vetura McCarty, passed away on April 7, 2025. He was born January 14, 1930 on a farm in White River Township, Hamilton County Indiana, 35 miles north of Indianapolis. He resided in the Peoria and Dunlap, Illinois area since 1954. Joe married Janet McCarty of Gary, Indiana in San Antonio, TX on April 17, 1954. They had known each other since September 1951 when they met at a watermelon party at Purdue University. Janet survives along with a daughter Cheryl, a son Gregory, along with 4 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Joe graduated from Purdue University in 1952 with a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering. He worked at Caterpillar for 9 weeks before going on active duty in the Air Force from 1952-1954. Joe returned to Caterpillar in 1954 and retired in 1989 after 35 years of service. He was a service representative and a technical writer/editor in the Product Support Department. Joe was a member of the Society for Technical Publications and served as an election judge from 1990 through 2012 in Medina Township, Peoria County. He was a member of the University United Methodist Church in Peoria, serving there in various capacities since 1956. Joe had a lifetime membership in the Purdue University Alumni Association. In 1959, he joined the Illinois Grandview Masonic Lodge AF&AM No. 1112 in Peoria Heights.
Joe served in the Illinois National Guard and various Air Force Reserve units, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1980. He and his daughter, Cheryl, flew to Washington, D.C. on an Honor Flight in June of 2015.
Joe and Janet enjoyed their family regardless of the distances separating them. They enjoyed yard work, volunteering, and traveling. They were fortunate enough to visit all 50 states, and Joe had been on all seven continents. He especially enjoyed his visits to Antarctica, Siberia, Mongolia, and with Janet to Kenya. While in Antarctica, Joe was on small cruise ship converted from a Russian icebreaker and he stepped twice on the continent. They both rode camels in Egypt to the pyramids and Joe rode yet another camel in Mongolia. He also rode a horse in Argentina on the way to Antarctica. Joe and Janet enjoyed sports, especially his favorites – the Purdue Boilermakers and the Chicago Bears and Cubs. In June, 2016 he fell and injured his back. After lots of therapy, he continued mowing the yard through 2019.
A funeral service celebrating Joe’s life and legacy was held at 2 pm at University United Methodist Church in Peoria, IL on Saturday, April 12, 2025. A graveside service and burial will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at the Aroma Cemetery in rural Atlanta with Pastor Neal Brown of the Omega Christian Church officiating. Military honors will be conducted at the graveside by the U.S Air Force and the Elwood V.F.W honor guard. Arrangements have been entrusted to Copher-Fesler-May Funeral Home in Elwood. Memorials may be made to University United Methodist Church Memorial Fund (reference Joe H. McCarty as a memo note) in lieu of flowers. Online condolences and memories may be shared at copherfeslermay.com.