Richard "Mac" P. Mccaffrey

Richard Patrick McCaffrey, 85, passed on September 22, 2022. Born in Amboy Illinois on July 10, 1937, to Helen and William McCaffrey, Mac was a proud member of Ironworkers Local 498 in Rockford Illinois and just received his 60-year pin.

His wife of 40 years, Jacqueline, passed in 2020. They shared many happy years together in Rockford, Illinois and Sun City Center, Florida taking walks in Severson Dells and visiting Disneyworld with their grandchildren.

The second oldest of 6 children, he is survived by his brothers, Mike and Tim and by his sisters Judy (Jim) Lindstedt and Teresa (John) Maltby and was predeceased by his sister Marilyn.

He is also survived by the blended family he and Jackie built together, including sons Terry (Wendy), Greg (Julie) and daughters Catherine (Doug) Hoffman, Jennifer (Pete) Ferguson, and Cindy (Dan) Fischer. He was predeceased by his beloved daughter Patricia in 1980.

He leaves his legacy in his grandchildren Anna (Vikesh), Danielle (Chad), Christopher (Anastasia), Kendall, Kelly (John), Ryan, Colin, Patrick, Sean, Brian, and Chrissie and great grandchildren Elaina Grace and Cohen Lowell and many nieces and nephews.

Richard loved riding his bike, listening to music, drinking a good cup of coffee, reading good books of all kinds, talking with his many friends about politics, nutrition and philosophies, and sharing his unique witticisms about life in general. He was so lucky to have so many good friends.

He was a life-long champion of the working man and those in need. Whether it was in his early life, as a coach for Boys Club basketball, his many years as a friend of Bill Wilson or the years he spent in retirement working as one of the oldest and longest serving volunteers at St. Anne’s Church Food Pantry in Ruskin, Florida, he touched many people in their time of need and was lucky enough to have so many of them express their love and gratitude while he lived. If you are one of those people, please know how much that mattered to him.

Richard would want you to remember him making you laugh with his dry wit and would want you to be kind to the least among you as he was and to find your own path in life enjoying friends and family. As he used to say: “Who knows what will happen? You may have enough money in your pocket right now to last the rest of your life.”

Visitation will be held Tuesday, September 27, 2022, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Riverside Chapel, 3910 N. Rockton Ave. Celebration will start at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 2400 Bell Ave. Rockford, IL 61103. Burial at Calvary Catholic Cemetery. If you wish to give in his memory, you may send donations to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Rockford or to the Food Pantry of St. Ann Church in Ruskin Florida.