Earl James Mcnamara

McNamara, Earl James. Nov. 13, 1925 - April 19, 2009. Earl was born in Wyandotte, MI to William and Mary (Morrison) McNamara, who were originally from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. Earl graduated from St. Patrick's High School, Wyandotte in June 1943. He crewed and played football in his high school years. Earl enlisted in the Navy during WWII and was stationed in Chicago for officer's candidate training at the University of Chicago. After the service, Earl attended the University of Detroit and received his Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is a lifelong resident of the downriver area. Earl married Onah (the one) Mary Quinn (deceased Feb. 28, 2002) on August 13, 1949. In Earl's professional career he was Sales Manager at Detrex Chemical Corporation, Vice President of Taylor & Gaskin Corporation and retired from Price Westen Inc. as Environmental Project Manager. He is survived by his children Patrick (Carolyn) of Ann Arbor, Timothy and Terrence of Malibu, CA, Kevin (Susan) of Trenton, Margaret Peggy Cox of Richmond, VA and Brian of Los Angeles, CA; his grandchildren Ryan, Erin, Meghan, Sean (Natalie), Molly, Emily, Kimberly and Kyle; his great grandchildren Michelle, Autumn, Corrine, Jillian and Aislin. Earl is also survived by his sister Vera (the late William) Sullivan. Remembering Dad It is difficult to think about our Dad without remembering happy times and our Mom too. They were devoted to each other and married for 53 years before Onah died in 2002. Dad especially felt her loss profoundly. Dad was the quintessential family man. He was totally devoted to us and Mom and he brought it all home. I cannot think of a more selfless or more generous person and he was so much more that it is difficult to convey the strength of his character or the warmth of his personality with merely words. It is impossible to think of a better example of someone who lived family values. He did not golf, gamble, hang out at the lodge or even pretend to go hunting and he pursued no interests that did not involve us. We were everything he wanted and everything he lived for. If he was not home, he was working to support us and he did in every way possible. To be sure, he could be stubborn and was Irish in every sense. And he could go from zero to mad in a flash, but we always had it coming and we always knew he loved us. Dad had been slowly slipping away and we never really came to terms with it before his forgotten, repeated aspirin doses lead to chronic poisoning and then suddenly acute, nearly fatal, debilitating neurological complications. This was just a little over four years ago and it was as if he had been stolen from us overnight. The magnitude of our loss then has been driven home now by his final passing and whatever "closure" is supposed to be, it seems way overrated, no matter how long it's been coming. Dad would not want us to dwell on his passing; but rather to raise a glass and toast a happy memory of him. Many of you have already shared yours' with us and we really appreciate your kind thoughts. It really helps us think back to happy times when we had Earl and Onah in our lives.