Obituary of F. Gerard McGrath

Mr. F. Gerard McGrath, "Gerry", a long-term Darien resident and respected financial executive, passed away peacefully on February 9th, 2013, surrounded by his loving family. Gerry, aged 73, was the son of the late Frank and Frances McGrath of Scarsdale, New York. He is survived by his wife Carolyn, his three children Mark, Kevin, and Maureen Ruckman and their spouses, nine grandchildren (Julieanne, Amanda, Caitlin, Rowan, Nora, Declan, Conor, Kieran, and Mia), and seven nieces and nephews. Gerry received an A.B. Degree With Honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1961, and in 1965 he received an M.B.A. Degree With Distinction from Harvard Business School where he was also designated a Baker Scholar. From 1961 to 1963, he served as a First Lieutenant in U.S. Army Intelligence. Prior to establishing McGrath & Company, a private investment banking firm in 1992, Gerry spent 25 years as an investment banker with four major firms Blyth, Salomon Brothers, Dean Witter Reynolds, and Prudential Securities capping his career in senior managerial and leadership positions. He negotiated and executed nearly two hundred merger, public offering, or private placement transactions, primarily for mid-sized companies, in the course of those years. Gerry remained active on the Advisory Committee of Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters for 25 years, serving as Chairman for many years. He was also a member of the Astrophysics Board at Princeton University and was very active in his Harvard Business School Alumni Association. In other areas of his life, Gerry served as Chairman of The St. Thomas More Finance Committee, Treasurer of the Darien Beautification Commission, and in a number of senior positions (mostly recently as Treasurer) on the Board of The University Club in New York. He also served as officer and director in several capacities, most recently as House Committee Chairman, at Wee Burn Country Club. His family, friends, business acquaintances, and fellow board members will long remember Gerry for his wit, intelligence, modesty, and his unwavering support of the causes to which he donated his time, prodigious talents, and resources over the years. Visitation hours will take place at the Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Boston Post Road, Darien, on Thursday, February 14, from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Thomas More Church, 374 Middlesex Road, Darien, on February 15 at 10:30 A.M. Burial will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien. The family wishes to extend its deep gratitude to the chaplains, nurses, and other medical professionals in the Stamford Hospital Oncology Unit for their exceptional care and attention to Gerry. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820