Joseph F. McCarthy III, 76, of the Germantown section of Philadelphia, died on July 26, 2023, at Einstein Hospital.
Joe was born in Delaware County on December 12, 1946. He graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School in 1965, earned a BS in Business from LaSalle University in 1969 and studied Architecture at Drexel University from 1971 to 1975.
His career spanned from 1972 to the present, working for and consulting with many architectural firms, including Mitchell /Giurgola Associates from 1972 to 1976, when he designed an installation for the Liberty Bell. From 1980 to 1992, he worked with Zimmers Associates as a project architect. As a self-employed entity, Joe worked as a consultant for John Lawson, David Traub Architect, and D. Bruce Hanes Esq for expert witness testimony. He was passionate about preservation and authored a chapter in the Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia’s ‘Owners Handbook’.
Joe served on the board of Historic Germantown, Johnson House, and was involved in Cliveden House. He was the current president of the Baynton Hill Neighbors Association.
Joe had a love of travel and the arts, as well as restoration of architecture. He was a connoisseur of food, spirits, and entertainment in his home, with a passion for cooking gourmet recipes. Throughout his adult life, Joe was instrumental in the preservation of several historic properties in and around the Germantown neighborhoods. He moved into his home in the early seventies with a group of friends, gradually taking over sole ownership over the years, and has lived there since then. His impact on the neighborhood around his home was felt widely, and his presence in the community will be missed with his sudden passing.
He is survived by his sisters Joan D. Brutsche of Phoenixville [Charles, dec.] and Nancy McKeown of Havertown [Edward] along with seven nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Joseph F McCarthy, Jr., mother, Rita McCarthy (Farren), and brothers Michael McCarthy and Kevin McCarthy
A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 29, 2023 from 11 am until 2 pm at Cliveden of the National Trust, Barn & Carriage House, located at 6401 Germantown Avenue (google maps location 98 E Cliveden Street). Parking is available in the Second Baptist Church parking lot, located directly across the street on Cliveden Street. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Germantown Historical Society in memory of Joe.
