Hugh Anthony McElroy, 71, MSG-US Army of Riverview, FL funeral service is 3:00 PM, Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at the Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Avenue, Bushnell, Florida with full military honors.
MSG McElroy was born on April 6, 1943 in Houma, Louisiana and passed away at Tampa, General Hospital, Tampa, FL on October 6, 2014. MSG Mc Elroy served our nation for 20 years in the US Army as a Senior Supply Sergeant and an Administrative Specialist. His military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC) Good Conduct Medal (6 OLC); National Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Vietnam Service Medal (2 Campaigns); NCO Professional Development Ribbon (3 Awards); US Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbons (3 Awards); Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/ Palm. After retirement, Hugh worked for Olin Winchester and retired from there.
He moved to Tampa, Florida in 1991 from Etters, PA and was presently working for SAIC as Ballistics’ Engineer. He was of the Episcopalian faith and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
MSG McElroy is survived by his loving family: his son, Jonathan Mc Elroy of San Francisco, CA; his daughters: JoAnn Mc Cluskey and her husband, Fred of Pensacola, FL and Jennifer Mc Elroy of Rochester, NY; a sister, Jeanne Kelso of Albuquerque, NM and three grandchildren: Nola Mc Cluskey, Io Mc Elroy Danglis and Atticus Mc Elroy Danglis and a host of other family and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents; William and Maeola (Sandoz) Mc Elroy and a granddaughter, Acacia McElroy.
Please send all floral arrangements directly to the cemetery. The picture is of MSG McElroy receiving one of his many awards for excellent service from General Korpel.
Please sign the guestbook below.
Veterans Funeral Care 727-524-9202
Hugh was one of the best problem solvers I have ever known. He will be missed. God bless him and his family.
In Remembrance of Hugh
Hugh (“Mac”) was one of the most dedicated and brilliant scientific minded person with a gentle soul that I have ever known. He studied at Louisiana State University before joining the US Army. After surviving the Vietnam War, he served in Republic of South Korea as one of the first US Military Technical Advisors to ADD (Agency for Defense Development, founded in 1970) for the next eight years. A voracious reader and a highly self-motivated man– driven by his curiosity about the world and how things work– he was a life-long self learner and a perpetual researcher. He became fluent in Korean language and a cultural expert, which along with his knack for drawing people to him with his immense knowledge over just about anything, he was a crucial US representative to ADD in help mentoring and counseling highly educated South Korean scientists for its technological advancement. After 20 years that included the several Oversees assignments and receiving many awards in his services of excellence, he retired from the US Army. Hugh immediately began working for General Defense, later at Olin Ordinance from which he retired after working with and mentoring many talented engineers. Devoted to his R & D research in Small Arms throughout his life, he earned his official title of an Inventor along with Michael R. Harris–his best friend & co-inventor–on Patent #: US 6973879 B1 on the subject of “Monolithic High Incapacitation Small Arms Projectile” (http://www.google.com/patents/US6973879) in 2005. Perpetually advancing in his own personal R & D projects, he also worked as a Ballistics Engineer at SAIC to the day he passed away.
Hugh, truly, was a passionate follower of his calling in his field of work. He also was an extraordinary man in the way he imparted his knowledge to those who sought his expertise. While great at humor and conversations, he was also a man of solitude, nature-loving; always gentle to the ones he loved, kind and generous to those in needs, committed in all his endeavors, and mostly, always most sincere to all who came in contact with. He has touched many lives nationally and internationally, and left a lasting legacy to those who have “curious minds” as he — to wonder, imagine, persevere, and create. His sudden unexpected departure from this life is a great loss to us all and to the world. We miss you and our grief is deeper than you might have ever imagined. You live in us and in many for whom you gave your all. May you rest in peace!
We, the McElroy family, whole-heartily, thank the friends, his colleagues, and the relatives who attended the funeral of Hugh, sharing our grief and standing by us. Your presence was of much comfort to us. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for him and our family. Hugh has been cremated at his request, and his remains are laid to rest at Tahoma National Cemetery just south of Seattle in the City of Kent, Washington State where the majestic year-round snow-covered Mt. Rainier sits in the background. Hugh loved the Puget Sound area very much, and thought he might live there in his retirement. Please come visit him if you are in the area. You can find him at Garden Niche at section 25A, site 216 in the map which you can locate at http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/tahoma.asp.
Mac’s death is one of the saddest events in my life. I still cannot believe that he is gone. He will be greatly missed. He will be in my heart and soul for the rest of my life. I pray for healing for the family from this unfortunate event.
Hugh was a personal friend of mine. We met at General Defense in St. Petersburg FL. I remember him as a very focused ballistics engineer. Since I hadn’t spoken with Hugh since September 2014, I proceeded to call him today. I was greatly saddened to learn of his passing. My prayers go out to Hugh’s family in this time of grief.
“Only a life lived in service to others is worth living.”
At the one-year anniversary of his passing, I am reminded of my friend who embodied that description so well. After living such a life for 71 years, Hugh made that final journey to “the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.”
He was a soldier, a patriot, an engineer, an inventor, a faithful husband and a loving father. As a sergeant in the US Army, attached to Special Forces, he was a decorated combat veteran who spoke several languages, volunteered for two tours of duty in Vietnam, spent at least 16 of his 20 active duty years deployed in South Korea, the Philippines and other Pacific Rim countries, served in the Inspector General’s office at the Presidio, and then worked as a defense contractor after retirement.
Hugh was a highly-trained professional who had lived through the horrors of combat and had no need to prove anything to anyone. He was polite and soft-spoken, in addition to being remarkably well-read, and one of the wisest men I’ve ever been privileged to meet. During the 18 years that I knew him, I was blessed with having the opportunity of being able to spend countless hours of enlightening and thought-provoking conversation with him and I treasure every one of them.
He was a mentor and one of my closest friends. Even though it’s been a year, in some ways it still feels like it was only yesterday that he left us. And so I say, in the words of Horatio to his friend Hamlet: “Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Thank you very much Hugh’s friends for returning to this site, and remembering Hugh. Thank you Mr. Robert Graus and Mr. Francis Booth for your kind words in remembrance of Hugh. We are yet to get hold of all of his friends who may not be aware of his passing away. Thank you Mr. Cameron Horne, particularly, for remembering Hugh and his attributes at this difficult time of anniversary of Hugh’s departure from us all. Yes, Hugh was an exceptional man with a kindest heart. It is a great comfort for us family to continue to hear about his legacy. Thank you, friends!