In Loving Memory of
Joe Ross McCray
March 20, 1941 – September 27, 2020
Virtual Celebration of Life Gathering was held on December 12. 2020 at 2:00 PM PST
On September 27, 2020, in Portland, Oregon, Joe Ross McCray died after a long struggle with congestive heart failure. He succeeded in many things in life but could not fulfill his wish to survive until he could vote in the 2020 election.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Delores (DeeDee) and dog 4, daughter Kelly McCray, son Tom McCray (spouse Robin), grandchildren Kathryn Bradley (spouse Denis), Joe Calentino (dog Gore), Ryan, and Sean McCray, great-grandchildren Vivian and Charlotte. Sister Carol Flynn (spouse Martin). He was preceded in death by his mother Vivian Tingey and brother Pat McCray. A few years ago, he found half-sisters, Joan Jensen, Janice Hill, and Judith Schwartz.
Joe was born in Denver and grew up in Portland. He graduated from Franklin High School in 1959, Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, in 1964, and University of San Francisco Law School in 1969. Throughout his life, Joe made and kept dear friends. He was a high school and college athlete, lifelong learner, workers’ advocate, political activist, avid hunter and golfer, and devoted to his family.
After graduating from college, Joe began his career with the National Labor Relations Board in San Francisco, and soon continued his commitment to labor rights as Assistant to the President of the International Longshore Workers Union, Harry Bridges. During this time, he began his political and community activism. As he became more involved in community activism, it became clear that the best way for him to continue his work would be to become an attorney. He continued working for the ILWU and attended night classes at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Upon passing the bar in 1971, he opened up his practice and began representing the San Francisco Bay Area’s working and underserved people. He was an aggressive, innovative, and fearless trial lawyer for more than 30 years. When he took on a cause, he would never give up without seeing it through to the very end. He developed a national reputation as a trial attorney for successfully representing claimants who suffered injuries from automobiles manufactured by General Motors. He also represented claimants against criminal enterprises in a very public case in Pierce County, WA.
Joe was a believer in doing what he could in the face of problems in the world and community. In his litigation against General Motors, he joined with other trial attorneys nationwide to found the Attorney’s Information Exchange Group, a national organization of plaintiffs’ personal injury lawyers that collaborated and joined resources to hold large corporations accountable for defective products.
He was very proud of his Irish heritage. He believed that American support could help work with Ireland through their infamous troubles. He was a founding member of the Irish Forum of San Francisco, which advocated for dialogue and justice in Ireland. He worked extensively in Ireland to help find a peaceful resolution to the sectarian conflict. Joe and the Irish Forum were impactful enough to have the attention of Irish leaders in the North and South, including Nobel Laureate John Hume and President Mary Robinson (Ireland President 1990 to 1997), who he hosted for dinner at his home in San Francisco.
Joe and DeeDee left San Francisco in 2002 and returned to rural Sauvies Island near Portland, where it had all began 40 plus years earlier. They reunited with high school and college friends, continued worldwide travel, adopting his beloved Labradors Two and Three (AKA Mac 2 and Mac 3), hunting and fishing. The McCray family gathered during summers and holidays to enjoy each other and Sauvie Island’s beautiful surroundings.
Joe also got to work to satiate his storyteller instincts and began writing novels based loosely on his experiences and characters came to know throughout his career in San Francisco. The first novel, “Murder at the Thorntree Hotel,” was self-published in 2006, and the last “On a Clear Day” was still being read and edited by his dear friends at the time of his death. In all, he completed four novels, two nearly complete, and numerous short stories. At the time of his death, he had begun working with an agent to help get his books published. The family will continue that effort.
As those who knew him well would expect, he left explicit wishes for how we would mark his passing, including a live jazz band, an open bar with free-flowing Black Bush Irish Whiskey.The family is hoping that COVID-19 will pass soon so that we can fulfill his wishes.Until then, the family will be hosting a virtual memorial on Saturday, December 12, 2020, at 2 pm.
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Joe, to paraphrase Yeats, did "not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but [made] it hot by striking." Boss, friend, mentor, partner, . . . . You will be missed while celebrated.
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I have to say that I was completely shocked to get the message that Joe had passed away. He was larger than life to me. It had only been two weeks since he’d asked me to be one of the editors of his last book. Letting go is never easy, even as you age and experience it more. But I’d imagine Joe would always want us to know that life is to be lived. We go on with home in our mind and hearts. My mother once told me when I was 15 and didn’t want to go to the high school (Lowell) that she had selected for me that “Life is a series of adjustments. The way you adjust to life is going to be the measure of you as a person. There will be things that happen in life that you cannot change, and you must learn to adjust.” I did adjust to that and many other challenges. I hope you all continue to cherish hIs memory and in time the adjustment will occur, little by slow. Joe will be missed but not forgotten.
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Thanks everybody for including Susie and me in the memorial. So long to one of a kind-Joe McCray.
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Dear DeeDee,
Friends are second only to family in determining one’s happiness. You and Joe certainly verify this in my life. I am immensely sorry about his passing. I hope you can find consolation with time. And I hope to see you again under more pleasant circumstances. This memorial service will be in my memory for ever. Thank you and Kelly for creating it.
Very best wishes for you,
Doug Greer
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We will really miss him and heartfelts to Dee Dee and family.
Jeanne Bevis
Stuart Sandler
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Dear Dee Dee and the family
That was a wonderful memorial. It captured Joe’s passion and represented all the aspects of his life perfectly. I was one of the lawyers at the Turk Street office with my law partner Julie Traun. We had some wonderful and memorable times there and up the street with Joe over a couple of drinks. I feel very fortunate to have known him.
Becky McKee
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I’m just grateful that my uncle Joe will be reunited with his mom and my dad once again. Aunt Dee Dee, Tom, Kelly and the whole clan, I’m so sorry for your loss, he was a great and powerful man.
-RJ
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Memorial was perfect all my best Kathy Stein
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So sorry to hear of Joe’s passing and sending deepest condolences to DeeDee, Kelly and family..Joe would come in often to Original Joe’s and happily hold court to a a lively group of “ altar boys.” Politics and all affairs of the day were discussed to the sound of clinking glasses and Black Bush. This went on for twenty plus years maybe more. Wish we were granted more time and more stories from Joe.. Again condolences ….. and Godspeed to Joe…
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Dear Dee Dee and family,
My condolences to you and your family during this sad time.
The last time I saw you and Joe was at a book signing several years ago in san francisco. We were able to catch up on our lives and fond memories.
I have always thought of my loved ones as never lost but on a new adventure
continuing on forever in my thoughts knowing that we will meet again.
I remember many times at #9 Jones that Joe and I discussed labor issues
and tried to solve the worries of the world. Not sure if we were successful
or not but we tried. Margo reminded us that we had best take care of business
by reminding us that we could not solve them all. 🙂
I will always have a smile as I remember those times with Joe!
Take care of each other!
My love and hugs to all, Ed Garvey (retired ILWU)
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Joe McCray immediately treated everybody he met like a sister or brother, including me-self.
Joe was an authentic US Westerner of Irish extraction who dove head-first into the heart and guts of society. Joe co-founded the Irish Forum and contributed mightily to dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Even Joe’s diverse Friday after-work round tables at Harrington’s were training grounds for jumping in to the evolving public courtrooms of the people.
Thanks, Joe. We carry on with you.
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Joe was a true agent of change in our world. A true believer in justice and equality for all. He will be missed by many, but his heart, spirit and soul will be remembered and carried forward.
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When I picture Joe, I see him waxing eloquent about a political issue on Sauvie Island, or telling wonderful stories, or challenging someone’s point – always with energy and a twinkle in his eye. I miss him. My heart goes out to DeeDee and all his family and friends, and dogs.
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Joe was such a force of life and thrill to work with on any venture. We will miss him, and we know the family must miss him terribly. May you find comfort in your wonderful memories of times together. God love you all.
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Joe,
You were absolutely one of my closest friends, and when I look back it was for over three quarters of my life. You knew my father before you knew me, but as a labor leader and not necessarily as a close friend, but from the day we met it was to become as close a friendship as two could have. I now you sometimes referred to me as your second son, that always made me feel comfort. I started missing you when you moved to Oregon, like San Francisco lost a piece of its heart. There will never ever be Fridays or St. Patrick’s days at Harrington’s again. But there will always be Black Bush!!!!
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I never had the opportunity to meet Joe in person but I had the pleasure and the opportunity to speak a lot with him about labor and politics via email. I live in Chico California but I used to be an office building custodian in San Francisco, and for a time I was active in the union SEIU Local 87. I am now retired. Joe knew the union leaders before I ever joined the union and gave me a lot of history about what happened before I became a janitor. He did a lot of good for the working people, and was really interesting to speak with. My condolences to Joe’s family and may his memory be a blessing.
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We first met Joe and DeeDee when they hired us to design and build the remodel of their house on Sauvie Island. We have shared many dinners, stories and events since then and always enjoyed Joe’s stories. His interests were diverse and he was always ready to discover something new or help others learn from his experiences. One fun project we worked together on was updating the caboose to create his office- we learned a lot about caboose design! We look forward to Joe’s Life celebration and will have our popcorn and Black Bush ready.
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I met Joe when he was writing an article for Clear Creek Magazine, an environmental monthly that we modeled on Rolling Stone. At that time few people in the labor movement cared about environmental matters, but Joe did and wrote a wonderful piece. We were as different as two white guys who were both lawyers could be, but somehow we bonded, and started a law firm together. Joe was brilliant, creative, funny, and deeply committed to justice and the betterment of peoples’ lives. DeeDee and his kids sustained him, and he had many, many friends. He freely shared his life with us; he was a gift to us all.
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Joe was a character—a big-hearted, smart, talented, unique individual. As the copyeditor and designer of three of Joe’s four published books, I had the opportunity to work with him and turn his stories into printed books—an experience I will long remember, as will I remember the times spent at dinners together here on the island, and sipping his beloved Black Bush Irish whiskey. He is missed.
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So sorry Joe is gone. Condolences and prayers to Dee Dee and the family. Chuck and Sibyl Stronach
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Joe McCray was a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable character. An American Original. I will be telling stories about Joe till I am also gone. Godspeed, Joe McCray…
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Knowing Joe those years at Franklin was a pleasure. His constant smile and quips will be missed. Always in thoughts and prayers.
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Will never forget the influence Joe had on me when I first met him and how reminded me of my own grandfather. Remember how he urged us to make sure our voices were heard and to fight to ensure they were . Always an inspiration. May he sleep easy and in peace.
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Joe was my Uncle, I was very proud of him and Deedee working hard to get him through Law School, while raising a family. He was a great lawyer, a good friend and uncle. I am glad he was able to retire, write his novels, travel a bit, enjoy his family and dogs. He will be missed.
He will live on in our memories and the great stories we can share about him.
RIP Uncle Joe
Love ya
Nellie