Ronald Dale McCarty

Former State Representative Ron McCarty passed away on November 16, 2015. He was born near Flaxville, Montana on August 13, 1936 to Alice Myrtle (Hoff) McCarty and William Raymond McCarty. He was the youngest of six children – Archie, Kermit, Quinton, Evelyn and Richard. He moved to Portland with his mother toward the end of the WWII in 1942. She worked in the shipyards and the family resided in Vanport, and later, in North Portland. He attended Boise Eliot Elementary School. He graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School where he played basketball – and continued to play well into his 60s. Ron obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Linfield College. Later, he pursued graduate studies in Sociology at Portland State University. In graduate school, he was a talented lightweight boxer. He remained a member of local boxing clubs well into his 70s. One of the hardest things for Ron to overcome during that time period was the loss of his best friend Rick Sanders, who was a world champion wrestler who died in an automobile accident in 1972. Physical fitness was always important to Ron. One day, him and his son Chris ran nearly a marathon together just for “fun.” Ron owned a number of businesses throughout his life including a restaurant called Pizza Corner near Portland State, a bar called the American Museum, which featured live music, another restaurant called Montague’s, and also owned his own tax consulting firm(s). He was affiliated with the union and would occasionally work as a boilermaker outside of tax season. When Ron was drafted, he left behind one of these businesses, and vowed to get “even” with Uncle Sam. He accomplished his goal by enjoying his military benefits to the fullest with Space “A” (available) travel and made trips to England and Turkey. He served as a State Representative in the Parkrose area from 1985-1989. He held other public service positions including eight years on Mt. Hood Community College Board; five years elected Multnomah Labor Council, and one-term with East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. He served 22 years in the military (20 in the U.S. Army) and was a Tax Consultant/Enrolled Agent, licensed to practice before I.R.S. Tax Courts. In the legislature, he worked to get Rocky Butte on the National Register. He was instrumental in extending Oregon's residential solar and alternative energy tax credits in the late 80's, as a member of the House Revenue Committee. He was also a strong voice against the proposed sales tax for Oregon. Lastly, he helped obtain credits for connecting to the sewer. His passions included politics - specifically, lobbying for the poor and debating the merits of issues with his friends, basketball – both watching and playing the game, television, Pinochle, and reminiscing about his “colorful” conversations at the Elks Club in North Portland. He enjoyed singing and dancing whenever he heard a familiar tune. He was never an alcoholic, but he did enjoy his Drambuie, Cointreau and cheap beer. The house was always stocked with two essentials – ice cream and butter. He always bought his steaks at Costco. He is survived by his wife, Mualla McCarty, as well as by his children Erin Bloomquist, Melina McCarty and Chris McCarty. His surviving grandchildren include Mikayla Munger, Jaden Munger, Eli McCarty, Teddy McCarty, Josie McCarty and Sahalie Bloomquist. The viewing will be on Monday between noon and 5 p.m. at Wilhelm’s Portland Memorial, 6705 SE 14th Ave. The service will be held at Willamette National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24. Service Information