Holyoke, Francis A. McKay, age 94, died peacefully Dec. 12, 2014 in Holyoke surrounded by his family. He was born at home on West Street in Granby, May 28, 1920, the son of John and Olga (McKissick) McKay. He is survived by his wife of 67 years,  Kathleen Canavan McKay; his daughters:  Cynthia Murphy and husband Barry of Mendon, MA, Donna McKay of South Hadley, Katherine McKay and husband Stephen Pelletier of Deerfield, MA, and Amy Avakian and husband David of Westhampton, MA; and son Kevin and wife Kathryn McKay of Chicopee, MA;  grandchildren:  Timothy Murphy and wife Meredith, and daughter Fiona, Los Angeles; Kevin Murphy, New York City;  Shannon (Malone) and husband Justin Kopacz,  children Gustav, Emmet, Abraham, and Adaline, Blandford, MA; Keely and husband Marshall Malone, children Kale and Zephyr, Greenfield, MA; Daniel  and Adam Kokonowski , South Hadley, MA; Ryan McKay, Kalispell, MT,  children Kaeda, Aiden, Oakley, Irelyn, and Declan;  Colleen Stanton, Singburi, Thailand; Carolyn Stanton, Asheville, NC; Desmond Pelletier, Goleta, CA; and Anna and Abby Avakian, Westhampton, MA;  his sisters Dorothy Regan, Granby and Bernice Hripak, Belchertown  and numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his son Gary D. McKay, his brother John McKay, and another sister Bernice who died in childhood.

Francis was a kind, hardworking, and gentle man, who as a boy rode to school in a horse-drawn wagon.  He never regretted leaving the family farm which, at its peak, was raising thousands of chickens.  At age 19, he was seriously burned in a gasoline explosion at the Hano Co. in Holyoke when he rescued a badly injured worker.   He served four years in the U.S. Army during WWII in New Zealand caring for wounded soldiers and on Saipan.   A former owner of Griggs Furniture in Amherst, MA and the Spirit Shoppe (Zag’s) in Ware, MA.  He also made deliveries for A.A. Fogarty Corp in Springfield.   

Ever the optimist, he was quick to remark, “It could be worse.”  He enjoyed the NY Yankees, golf, dancing, winters in Florida, and time with friends and family. 

Calling hours at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst, are from 5 p.m to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19^th.  A Memorial Mass will be held Saturday, Dec. 20th, 10:00 AM, at St. Brigid’s Catholic Church,   122 North Pleasant St., Amherst.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Soldiers Home, Holyoke MA.

Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.