Winston H. McCarty

TILTON — Winston “Win” Herbert McCarty died on June 26, 2025, at the New Hampshire Veterans Home, following a heart attack. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by family, caregivers and fellow veterans. He was 96.

Winston was born on July 29, 1928, in Berlin, New Hampshire, to parents Herbert and Nina (Hodgdon) McCarty. He spent his boyhood in West Milan, New Hampshire, and attended West Milan Elementary School for the first seven grades. At age 15, following the death of his father, Winston and his mother moved to Berlin, where Winston attended high school.

After high school, Winston enlisted as a member of the Army, serving at the end of World War II, from Oct. 1946 until March of 1948, as well as during the Korean War from November 1950 until June 1951. During his service, he worked as a vehicle dispatcher and criminal investigator. He also worked as a lineman in Korea and Japan as part of the Signal Corps.

In his civilian life, Winston pursued a career in public electricity service, first as a lineman for Hooser Engineering and then for Public Service of New Hampshire, a company with which he was employed for 39 years. He studied electrical engineering through a correspondence school, and was promoted from lineman to electrical superintendent and staff assistant, and continued to work in the industry after his retirement from PSNH as a safety inspector for 3 Phase Line Construction, Inc.

Winston always found time to engage with community affairs. He served as volunteer firefighter, an American Legion Post commander, for the school study committee and Budget Committee in Milford, as director of a Little League organization and helped with his local Boy Scout troop. In Derry, he served on the Planning Board, was director of the Chamber of Commerce and was charter president of the Derry Rotary Club. He served on the Rochester Planning Board and Zoning Board, was also active with Kiwanis Clubs and served four terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Winston married Helen Theresa (Bell) on Sept. 23, 1950, at St. Kierans Church in Berlin. Together they had three sons: Normand, Raymond and John.

A lover of traveling and the outdoors, he and Helen spent 32 days in 1980 touring the country on their motorcycle. Their exploration took in the Grand Canyon, Zion and Yosemite national parks, San Diego and San Francisco.

Winston loved listening to country music, and painting. His eye was drawn to sweeping landscapes and pastoral homesteads, his paintings of which still hang in the homes of many family members.

Winston was predeceased by Helen in 2021, as well as his sister, Penelope Maheu and her husband Leonel “Lee” Maheu.  He leaves behind his sons, Raymond McCarty and wife Karen, of Londonderry, NH, Normand McCarty and wife Lucia Ewerton, of Lowell, Massachusetts, his daughter-in-law, Helen Wilson McCarty, of Sparta, New Jersey, and John McCarty, of Rochester, NH; six grandchildren, Jason McCarty, Justin McCarty, Shannon McCarty-Drapcho, Kerry McCarty, James McCarty, and Katie Sweet; six great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Winston moved to the Veterans Home in July of 2023. The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff and residents there, where he made many friends and was treated with excellent, compassionate care.

Winston's family will schedule private memorial services at a later date.