John William McCoy, Jr., husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend to so many, passed away on Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Brevard, NC. John – or “Iani” to his three grandkids – was a man of faith who loved his wife Carolyn through nearly 60 years of marriage. He was a deeply committed Christian and member of Bethany Baptist Church, where he worshiped for the last 14 years.
John grew up in Sumter, South Carolina, where he graduated from Edmunds High School, and went on to the Citadel, graduating in 1966, as a part of the “Band of Bubbas.” High school and college reunions and friends from both places remained priorities to him for the rest of his life. John was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army and served in Greece and then Vietnam where he earned a Bronze Star Medal. Upon completion of his active service, he continued to serve in the South Carolina National Guard from which he retired at the rank of colonel. John worked as an engineer his entire career and retired from Bosch in Sumter.
Fifteen years ago, John and Carolyn left their hometown of Sumter and their church of decades, First Baptist Church to move to the mountains – his retirement dream. They have since made their home in beautiful Brevard where he spent hours observing and enjoying the birds and other wildlife.
John could repair anything (or tried to…), recall an amazing array of information, and design a creative solution to almost any problem. He loved everything about nature; he spent countless hours on the trails in DuPont, Pisgah, and other areas of WNC; he loved all of God’s creatures, and snakes and spiders maybe the most. He taught and demonstrated to his children and grandchildren to love the outdoors, travel whenever possible, give generously, and love deeply.
John is survived by his wife, Carolyn Stokes McCoy of Brevard; daughters Mandy McCoy Phillips (Jeff) of Santa Barbara, CA and Selena McCoy Carpenter (Rand) of Nashville, TN; his grandchildren Reid Carpenter of Johnson City, TN, Sam Carpenter of Nashville, TN, and Pierce Phillips of Santa Barbara, CA. He also leaves behind a passel of nieces and nephews who loved him and will miss their “Uncle John.”
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, July 14, 2025 at Bethany Baptist Church in Brevard, followed by a time of visitation in the church Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to Bethany Baptist Church, Sharing House, or Friends of DuPont Forest.
Moore-Blanchard Funerals & Cremations is honored to serve the family.