Obituary of Dennis McCormick

Dennis A. McCormick (Lt. Col. USAF retired) died on April 30, 2012 of complications from cerebral amyloid angiopathy at Sunrise Assisted Living at Reston Town Center, where he had been a resident since January 2011. He had lived in Reston, Virginia since August 1976. Dennis was born on July 4, 1935, the son of Calvin and Gwendolyn (Harvey) McCormick, in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his childhood in the charming seacoast town of Northport, Long Island, where he met Deborah Fontaine. They both attended Northport High School and were married at Saint Paul's Methodist Church in Northport in June 1957. From there he embarked on a rich and varied 21-year military career. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1957 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Air Force. After earning his wings, he flew B-47 bombers for the Strategic Air Command at Lockbourne AFB in Columbus, Ohio and then participated in the nascent space program with the 4000th Support Group at Offut AFB in Omaha, Nebraska. His next assignment was in an exchange program with the British Royal Air Force (RAF), where he attended the RAF Staff College. In 1970-1971, he served a tour in Vietnam as the S-3 Officer of Company "A" with the U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) where he was responsible for supervising the training of over 3,500 ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) Ranger troops. He was commended for "his ability to understand and appreciate the problems of his Vietnamese counterparts (which) produced an extremely harmonious relationship based on mutual respect among the U.S. and Vietnamese personnel." From 1971 to 1976, he held positions of increasing responsibility with the U. S. Emergency Operations Center at Fort Ritchie, Maryland and at the Pentagon. During his distinguished military career, Colonel McCormick was awarded an Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Bronze Star, and a Service Medal (Tham-Muu Bôi-Tinh) from the Republic of Vietnam. He was eligible for the Purple Heart medal in Vietnam when a mortar landed a mere 10 feet away, the blast ripping away part of his uniform. Always setting high standards, he turned down the recognition because he felt his wounds were not as significant as others deserving of the medal. While stationed at Fort Ritchie, Colonel McCormick earned a Masters degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg State College. After retiring from the Air Force in 1978, Dennis was employed by Systems Development Corporation (later part of Unisys Corporation) in McLean, Virgina where he worked on a project supporting the JINTACCS (Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command & Control Systems) program. He led the U. S. Message Text Format facet of the program for many years and headed the U. S. Delegation to NATO's Working Group 5 in support of the NATO Military Message Handling System. He later participated in other Unisys computer communications projects, including one for the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C. For over 30 years, Dennis was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston. He chaired the Finance and Building Expansion Committees and served on the Board, with one term as Vice President and one as Secretary. In recent years, he and his wife Deborah co-chaired the church's Social Action Committee. His dedication to community service continued through many additional activities including coaching travel soccer where his philosophy was to allow the children to grow and have fun. In the mid-1980's, he and Deborah served as co-leaders for the Association of Couples for Marriage Enrichment (ACME) and co-edited the newsletter, Capital Couples. In retirement, he developed his talent for watercolor painting and taught several classes in watercolors at the Reston Community Center. For 28 years, the McCormicks enjoyed a second home on the water in Mt. Holly on Virginia's Northern Neck. On the occasion of his 60th birthday celebration, friends and relatives contributed tributes that well described Dennis's personality and character. Among them: "Dennis was known for his keen intellect, sharp wit, noble personality ... analytical, thoughtful and quiet … piercing blue eyes which twinkle and wink when he is teasing someone, a particular delight of his … precise, methodical way of dealing with issues … tall, handsome, dashing." He was especially known among friends and associates for his quiet, wry humor and his persistence in advancing his opinions and convictions. Former ministers have described him as "a man of deep integrity and wide emotional range" and as possessing "a fine mind and honorable personality." He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Deborah (Fontaine); three children: Craig Fontaine McCormick of Waterford, Virginia; Sharon M. (William) Golightly of Poway, California and Denise M. (Thomas) Harris of Warrenton, Virginia; six grandchildren: Andrew and Kevin McCormick, Carleigh and Sean Golightly, and William and Connor Harris. He also leaves his sisters Judith Joiner of Katy, Texas and Marcia Tomlinson of Bradford, Vermont. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Barry McCormick.