Dr. Frank J. McCarthy, 80

Dr. Frank J. McCarthy, 80 , of Willow Street, formerly of Lancaster city, died on February 19, 2009 at Lakeside, Willow Valley Retirement Communities. He was the husband of Marjorie R. McCarthy. The couple celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in 2008.

An expert in virus and bacterial vaccines, McCarthy retired as managing director of Wyeth, Marietta. He started his professional career at Merck Sharp & Dohme Laboratories, West Point, Pa in 1953 as a scientist in the area of virus and tissue culture research. He joined Wyeth in 1963 to become the manager of virus vaccine manufacturing. He was subsequently named associate director of biological manufacturing in 1974. He became director of the Marietta facility in 1987, a position he held until he retired in 1995.

During his tenure, he directed the manufacture of millions of doses of smallpox vaccine supplied to the World Health Organization as part of their global program to eradicate the disease. This was successfully accomplished in 1980. His efforts in the field of vaccines helped guide the company to become one of the major manufacturers of Influenza vaccine.

Professionally, he published a number of papers in scientific journals and was a member of several national scientific organizations. He served as the chairman of the vaccine section of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Association. He represented Wyeth at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and served as Wyeth’s Responsible Head in dealing with the Biological Division of the Federal Drug Administration in Washington. He was a member of Sigma Xi, a national scientific honorary society.

Dr. McCarthy earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Mount St. Mary’s College, Emmitsburg, MD in 1949. He received a Master of Science degree from Fordham University, New York in 1951 and his doctorate in Microbiology from Lehigh University, Bethlehem in 1960.

He was a former member of the board of directors of the Demuth Foundation. He was an avid gardener, and his city garden was opened for the annual Demuth Garden Tour.

Born in Mt. Carmel, he was the son of the late John and Martha (Shulskie) McCarthy.

Surviving in addition to his wife are two sons, Mark D. and his wife Mary, Cleveland, Ohio, and Adam C. and his wife Cathy, Lake Worth. Florida and four granddaughters: Molly, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Caroline, San Francisco, California, Alexandra and Caitlin, Lake Worth.

He was preceded in death by his oldest son, Kevin P., a sister Ruth, and brothers John and William.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Philip the Apostle Church, 2111 Millersville Pike, Lancaster on Thursday, February 26^th, 2009 at 11AM with the Rev. Mark Weiss, celebrant. The family will receive friends before the service from 10 to 11AM Interment will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Bausman.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Hospice of Lancaster County, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA17604-4125 or to Demuth Foundation, 120 E. King St., Lancaster, PA 17602, or the Fulton Opera House Foundation, 12 N. Prince St., P.O. Box 1865, Lancaster, PA 17608-1865. Arrangements by Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home, Lancaster, PA.  To send an online condolence, please visit www.snyderfuneralhome.com.