LAMPASAS — Services for Charles Michael McGarry Sr., 69, of Lometa will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Church of the Hills in Lometa with the Rev. John Quigley officiating.
Burial will be in Lometa City Cemetery.
Mr. McGarry died Thursday, Oct. 25, at his home.
He was born in Streator, Ill., to James Gordon and Helen Burns McGarry. He was retired military. He had also retired as mayor of Lometa and Lometa municipal judge. He was reared in Los Angeles. He began his 31-year military career in 1958 in the U.S. Army at Fort Lee, Va., and following a tour in Korea, he was assigned to San Antonio and was then entered basic helicopter training at Fort Wolters near Mineral Wells. In 1965, he completed his training at Fort Rucker, Ala., and received his aviator wings and was commissioned as a Warrant Officer One. After tours in Korea and Vietnam, he returned to Fort Wolters in 1967 as a Chief Warrant Officer and instructor pilot. In 1969, he returned to Vietnam and was reassigned to Fort Rucker in 1970 as Senior Tactical Officer at the Army Helicopter School. From there, he was reassigned to Army logistics and served tours at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida and later to logistical assignments in Bad Kreuznach and Kaiserslautern, Germany. In 1983, he was assigned to Fort Hood as a member of the Inspector General Team until he retired in December 1990 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Four.
His military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with numeral 7, Army Commendation Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 1 silver and 1 bronze service star, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 3, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Master Army Aviator Badge and Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm.
After retiring from the military, he attended Central Texas College and Tarleton State University and received a bachelor’s degree. He was inducted into the National Criminal Justice Honor Society. He moved to Lometa in December 1999. He was appointed to the Lometa City Council in 2001. In 2004, he was named Mayor Pro Tem and served until 2005 when he assumed the duties of Mayor and municipal judge. He was re-elected in 2006 and held both positions until he resigned earlier this month due to his health. He was a member of the Lions Club of Lometa, American Legion Post No. 116 and Carmichael Lodge No. 548, F&AM in Enterprise, Ala.
Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Patricia Ann Goudy McGarry of Lometa; four sons, Charles McGarry Jr. of Stockholm, Sweden, James McGarry of Salado, Patrick McGarry of Nolanville and Chad Lyons of Austin; one daughter, Mary Hicks of Bend; one brother, James McGarry of Prescott, Ariz.; and 11 grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Odyssey Health Care Hospice, 2010 SW H.K. Dodgen Loop, Suite 201, Temple 76504.
Visitation will be noon-3 p.m. Wednesday at Sneed Funeral Chapel in Lampasas.
