Darrel Wayne McCarty

Darrel Wayne McCarty, 86, was born August 18, 1938, in St. Anthony’s Hospital in Dodge City, Kansas, son of Herbert and Clarice McCarty of Plains, Kansas and went to be with the Lord on May 1, 2025 Darrel attended Plains Elementary School and graduated from Plains Consolidated High School in 1956. He was a member of the Methodist Church where he sang in the choir and was active in the church youth group. He was a Boy Scout and a member of 4-H, played drums in the school band and he worked with his dad in farming. After high school he attended Wichita Technical Institute in Wichita, Kansas, where he received his diploma in radio and television repair and servicing in 1957 and went to work for Boeing Aircraft Company in Wichita. Darrel served his country in the U. S. Air Force and was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Goodyear, Arizona, and Andrew’s Air Force Base near Washington D. C. While in the service he began to be called by his nickname, “Mac.” While at Luke Air Force Base, he met Nancy McMaster. They were married February 27, 1960, and had celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year. He obtained his Electronics Technician certificate from Phoenix Union High School Vocational Technical Division in 1964 and had built their own home in Rainbow Valley in Buckeye, Az. and had two children, Deborah and Daniel in 1966 and 1968. He worked for Goodyear Aerospace in Goodyear, AZ, which was then bought by Loral and again by Lockheed Martin. From there, he went to work for Strander Petroleum in Buckeye, AZ until retirement. He served his community as a volunteer firefighter for the Rainbow Valley Fire Department, became the station’s Fire Chief and went on to become the District Fire Chief over a span of 15+ years. In addition, he was a member of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buckeye, he would coach or umpire his kids’ softball teams every Summer, sang in a Barbershop Quartet, held a Ham Radio Operator license and built a hovercraft to cross the Gila River during the floods of 1979 and 1980 when Rainbow Valley was isolated from the rest of the valley. In 1984 he received his General Radio/Telephone Operator License from the Federal Communications Commission. Upon his retirement, Mac and Nancy moved to Prescott Valley, AZ in 2005 where he continued his hobbies of woodworking, music, and reading. His true passion was his wood shop in which he built many amazing pieces of furniture, toys which he donated, candles sticks, bowls and many other things. In April 2025 they moved to Goodyear, AZ to live with their daughter, Debbie. Mac is survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughter, Debbie Stanley of Goodyear, AZ; his son, Dan McCarty of Mayer, AZ; four grandchildren, Lisa Smith and her husband Mike of Goodyear, Jonathon, Lierin, and David Stanley of Goodyear, two great grandchildren Jemma and Jaxon Smith of Goodyear; an aunt, Ruth Deprin of Naperville, Il. ; a sister, Donna Jean Mortensen and her husband Darryl of Yuma AZ; a sister-in-law, Glenda McMaster of Mesquite, NV; two nephews, Scott McMaster and Vernon Mortensen, one niece Tracy Beck; and several cousins. Mac will be interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, AZ on May 23, 2025 at 2:30 pm.

Darrel Wayne McCarty

August 18, 1938 - May 1, 2025