SGM (Ret) James R. “Jim” Marcy, served his country
James R. “Jim” Marcy, 73, of Milton was called home to be with his Lord and Savior Sunday, June 14, 2020.
Jim was born in Robbinsdale, Minn., son of the late John William and Jean (Weisman) Marcy.
Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army and served our country for 22 years, retiring in 1989 with the rank of sergeant major. During his service, Jim held positions of Electronic Warfare Signal Intelligence chief and later, analyst. He started as a Swahili linguist, but he was most proud of his work as an analyst, training his soldiers to do their job when push came to shove.
Jim had several overseas tours before settling in Maryland with his wife and son after retiring. He worked for Hechinger and then Home Depot for the next 30 years. Jim and Kathy then moved to Milton in 2014 where he worked for Best Ace Hardware until 2018. Jim embodied the “Helpful Hardware Person.”
Jim was a devout Christian; he and Kathy were founding members of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Derwood, Md. After moving to Milton, they joined Goshen United Methodist Church, where he enjoyed singing in the choir. Jim was very active in his new community, including helping out the Milton Historical Society in any way he could. He was named Volunteer of the Year by the historical society in May 2019. He and Kathy also enjoyed attending several performances at the Milton Theatre.
In addition to his parents, Jim is preceded in death by a sister, Cathy Marcy Lofgren.
He is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Kathy (McCallum) Marcy; a son, James R. Marcy Jr. and his wife Kathy Marcy-Johnston; a sister, Mary Ann Rouleau and her husband Mike; a brother, Chuck Marcy; several nieces and nephews, as well as extended family and friends.
Jim was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2019. He tackled this new challenge the only way he knew - head on. One of Jim’s nieces shared the following: “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; Love leaves a memory no one can steal. Uncle Jim, you showed us how to fight like hell, how to be stronger than we think we are, and how to be so stubborn to make cancer run for the hills, but your fight is over now and you are finally at peace. Cancer sucks, but today it sucks a lot a bit more because you’re gone.”
A memorial service will be held at noon, Saturday, Oct. 17, in the chapel of Short Funeral Services, 416 Federal St., Milton, with a time of visitation from 11 a.m. to noon. Inurnment will be held at Arlington Cemetery at a later date. All attending must wear a mask and adhere to social distancing guidelines.
The family has asked that instead of flowers, contributions should be directed in Jim’s memory to: Milton Food Pantry, PO Box 84, Milton, DE 19968, www.miltonpantry.org or Beebe Medical Foundation, 902 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE 19958, www.beebehealthcare.org
Arrangements are in the care of Short Funeral Services, Milton. Online condolences for the family are welcome at www.shortfuneralservicesandcremation.com
