John C. McCafferty
Following a lengthy illness, John C. McCafferty, Colonel, USAF (Retired) passed away on December 1, 2019 in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA. Son of Monica (Harrington) and the late John A. McCafferty, John was born in Cambridge, MA on March 4, 1957.
Colonel McCafferty graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA in 1979. In 1983, he graduated from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine in Bethesda, MD then completed his general surgery residency at Wright State University, Fairborn, OH. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He was a member of the Cecil American Legion and Cuddy VFW in Pennsylvania.
Colonel McCafferty entered the U. S. Air Force through ROTC Commission in 1979 and served his country on active duty 32 years as a general surgeon, critical care surgeon, flight surgeon, and commander. Colonel McCafferty had multiple overseas deployments to include Bosnia-Herzegovina (Bosnia War), Oman following the USS Cole tragedy, and United Kingdom (OPERATION Enduring Freedom). One of the first Critical Care Transport Team (CCAT) surgeons, his deployment to many countries in the Middle East including Afghanistan during OPERATION Enduring Freedom proved life-saving to many service members who sustained life threatening war injuries. Military decorations include Legion of Merit Award, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal.
John is preceded in death by his father, John J. McCafferty, Cambridge, MA. He is survived by and will be immensely missed by his: wife of 21 years, Mary Novak-McCafferty, Cecil PA, who cared and advocated for him throughout his illness and was at his bedside in his final days; his mother, Monica (Harrington) McCafferty, Cambridge, MA; his siblings, Anthony (Maria Wojtaszek), Cupertino, CA; Elizabeth (Graham) Burt, Storrington, UK, Richard (Edna Ramalho), Arlington, MA, and Phillip McCafferty, Cambridge, MA. John loved and will also be missed by his in-laws: Jean and Ed Scholtz, Robert and Kathy Novak, Maureen Bedel Novak, Margaret Novak, Diane and Bruce Koontz, and Linda Novak; and his nephews and nieces: Neil and John McCafferty, Clint, Mark and Michael Novak, Eddie and Sarah Scholtz, and Matthew, Jessica, and Madison Koontz.
Friends will be received from 2-4 and 6-8 PM on Thursday, December 5, 2019 at the Coleman-Taylor Funeral Services 3378 Millers Run Road, Cecil, PA 15321, 724-745-9510 were prayers of transfer will be said on Friday December 6, at 9:00 AM followed by a Christian Funeral Mass at St. Mary Church, Cecil with Monsignor Joseph Lamonde officiating.
Interment will be in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies with full military honors accorded by the U.S. Air Force.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donation to: Center for Military Medicine Research, www.cmmr.pitt.edu (412) 624-3420 or Disabled American Veterans, www.dav.org <http://www.dav.org> 1-855-619-4376 or to the William K. Rundell Jr. Endowment Fund: www.wright.edu/give/rundell <http://www.wright.edu/give/rundell> (937) 775-4547.