Paul T. McCann, 74, passed away on April 25th at his home in Elkton, MD. He was born in Philadelphia to the late John and Helen Ford McCann. Paul was a graduate of West Catholic High School for Boys with the Class of 1965. He was also a veteran of the US Navy with whom he proudly served during the Vietnam War as a Corpsman in the Lima Co. 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines.
Paul moved to Tunkhannock, PA after marrying Cecelia, where they raised their children. He worked for over 22 years at Tyler Memorial Hospital and was also the proud owner and operator of several businesses while living in Tunkhannock, including a gun shop and yard care business.
Paul moved to Delaware in 1998 to be closer to his siblings and for better access to Veteran’s services. Besides his time in Cherry Hill, NJ where he lived with his second wife, Joan, and her children, Paul spent the last 20 years in Delaware and Elkton, MD. Living close to his siblings allowed him to spend time with them and their extended families – time which he cherished greatly. While Paul struggled with PTSD since returning from his tour in Vietnam, he found great joy in his train and car collections, his support group at Elsmere Veteran’s Hospital, and frequent gatherings with his extended family and friends. Truly, Paul was never a stranger for very long – he made friends everywhere he went including with his neighbors and the employees at any store he frequented. What he enjoyed most, however, was spending time with his family, especially his 10 grandchildren, whom he frequently showered with gifts and tokens of his love.
In late 2020, Paul suffered a fall, breaking his femur, and, as he did with any challenge he faced, worked determinedly on his rehabilitation and recovery. He had recently started venturing out on his own again – he fed the geese near his apartment, visited his favorite stores, and with help, he even put together a new train set. Despite his determination, the physical stress of rehabilitating his broken femur in combination with his other health conditions, caused his untimely death.
In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by siblings, John, James, Brian, Robert, Baby Richard McCann, Geraldine McCann, Helen Hellmig, and Patricia Oakes, and former wife, Joan. He is survived by his former wife, Cecelia, and their children, Amy McCann (Matt), Gabrielle O’Malley (EJ), Allyson McCann Rawluk (John), Kevin McCann (Elizabeth); grandchildren, Cameron and Elliott Scheibe, Brady, Ryan and Shane O’Malley, Avery McCann, Parker and Reese Rawluk, Olive and Hannah McCann; Siblings, Mary Timoney and Richard McCann; Step-children, James, Patrick and Megan Hee.
His funeral mass will be held on Thursday, May 6 at 12pm at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Wilmington, DE. Friends and family are invited to his viewing from 9-11am at the Carr Funeral Home 935 S. Providence Rd. Wallingford, PA. Burial will take place with a private ceremony at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, DE on Wednesday, May 12th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Paul’s name to Give an Hour, an organization dedicated to providing free counseling to veterans and others suffering from PTSD.
For family and friends that are not able to come in person, Paul's funeral mass will be streamed live using the link below or go to www.hrparish.com
Holy Rosary Claymont DE - YouTube