Obituary for James Hammond McGrath
James Hammond McGrath passed away on February 14, 2020 in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Jim was born on March 29, 1947 in Salisbury, MD to John McGrath and Jean Powell.
Jim is a graduate of Washington College, MD where he played lacrosse and met his wife, Susan McLean. He was then commissioned an officer in the United States Marine Corps, and he and Susan were married on December 21, 1969 in Quantico, VA. He received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the American University in Washington, D.C. in 1977 and pursued a teaching career at Indiana University at South Bend and Central Michigan University, where his research focused on professional ethics and military oaths. Introduction to Philosophy 101 remained his favorite group of students.
Captain McGrath was the Commanding Officer of the South Bend, IN Marine Reserve Unit until his injury in 1980. Jim retired from the CMU philosophy department in 2007 and continued teaching ethics in the Physical Therapy Doctoral program until 2015. An avid reader, Jim had an abiding love for Aristotle and Notre Dame football.
Jim is survived by his wife of 50 years, Susan McLean McGrath, his sister, Anne Stephens (Frank Heger) of Hatboro, PA, and cousins Tim Powell of Houston, TX and Dan Powell of Princess Anne, MD.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, February 21 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery. The family will receive friends before the Mass at 10 a.m. in the church.
Jim is a graduate of Washington College, MD where he played lacrosse and met his wife, Susan McLean. He was then commissioned an officer in the United States Marine Corps, and he and Susan were married on December 21, 1969 in Quantico, VA. He received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the American University in Washington, D.C. in 1977 and pursued a teaching career at Indiana University at South Bend and Central Michigan University, where his research focused on professional ethics and military oaths. Introduction to Philosophy 101 remained his favorite group of students.
Captain McGrath was the Commanding Officer of the South Bend, IN Marine Reserve Unit until his injury in 1980. Jim retired from the CMU philosophy department in 2007 and continued teaching ethics in the Physical Therapy Doctoral program until 2015. An avid reader, Jim had an abiding love for Aristotle and Notre Dame football.
Jim is survived by his wife of 50 years, Susan McLean McGrath, his sister, Anne Stephens (Frank Heger) of Hatboro, PA, and cousins Tim Powell of Houston, TX and Dan Powell of Princess Anne, MD.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, February 21 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery. The family will receive friends before the Mass at 10 a.m. in the church.