Obituary of Francis McCarthy

Francis “Fran” McCarthy passed away peacefully on Friday, July 12, 2019.A man of God and noteworthy entrepreneur, Fran McCarthy was born Feb. 18, 1954, in Springfield, Mass., and was the eldest of seven sons of Patricia and Philip McCarthy. His father being a Navy pilot, young Francis inherited a rigorous sense of self-discipline and hard work, which served him well when founding Westwood Contractors, a national construction company, while only in his 20s. Shortly thereafter, he established Westmark Development with partners, Tom and Steve Eisner.Starting in the mid-’90s, he developed a passion for urban redevelopment focusing on the blighted and unsafe area on the south side of Fort Worth. He and his partners vision for Magnolia Avenue is being enjoyed by all today. Several of his projects were historical buildings such as, the Newkirk Building, Max Mehl Building and the Fort Worth National Bank Building at Magnolia Avenue and Hemphill Street.However, for all his accomplishments, nothing was more important to him than family, particularly his wife, Kathryn, whom he met through a mutual friend at his 2013 Christmas Eve party held every year for his family and friends. Twelve months later on Christmas Eve they were engaged. He was most proud of his children and their families, Vandi, Kailyn, and Jackson, and his grandson, Max. A man of great talent, Fran had an ideal ear for humor, as when distinguishing between ignorance and indifference: “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”Of course, when it came to what matters in life, Fran could not have been any further from ignorant or indifferent because of his trust in God’s plan to help others. He passed four years to the day after his dear mother, Patricia, surrounded by his family and loved ones.Fran is survived by his wife, Kathryn; children, Vandi Ladenthin married to Justin Ladenthin, Kailyn Frances McClanahan married to Randall McClanahan, and Jackson Talbott McCarthy; grandchild, Maximus Ryan McLanahan—with a sibling on the way; the mother of his children, Jackie McCarthy; brothers, Ken, Tom, Don, Bob, John, and Paul; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.