Christopher Dorius McCool

Christopher D. McCool was born on October 28, 1918, in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. He died in Owensboro, Kentucky, on January 17, 2015. He was the son of Charles and Frances McCool and was one of ten brothers and one sister.

He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh and achieved a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, Chris came to Owensboro in 1941 to work as an engineer at Ken-Rad Tube and Lamp Company, where he met the love of his life, Elizabeth Holland, who preceded him in death in October 2014.

Chris said of his wife of 72 years, "Elizabeth had a wonderful personality and a beautiful smile." A fellow engineer told Chris that "Elizabeth was a really nice girl, but she didn't dance." Undaunted by his coworker's admonitions, their life-long love for one another blossomed and they married in October of 1942. They lived in several military posts during World War II as Chris served as a Captain in the Army Air Force as a communications officer.

Elizabeth Holland's family embraced Chris from the moment she introduced him to her numerous siblings. He took her younger siblings under his wing offering them seldom-enjoyed experiences; he took them to movies and installed the early stages of black and white TV in their rural home. He is loved as a blood-family member in Elizabeth's family.

Chris and Elizabeth's love produced three children, Sharon McCool Flynn, Patricia McCool Ducker (Larry) and J. Chris McCool (Susan).

Chris was disciplined and devoted to any task he undertook. He worked diligently at General Electric in Owensboro for 39 years as an engineer and manager in the Electric Components Division. He was a senior member of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Association. Chris held a secret clearance with the government as well as several patents with General Electric.

Beyond his strong work ethic at GE, he volunteered in the community as well, as a member of the Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, President of the Owensboro Daviess County Mental Health Association and President of the Dale Carnegie Alumni Association. He also served on the board of directors of the Kentucky Association for Mental Health.

Chris' devotion extended to his family as well. It was a rare day when he was not home for lunch or at the dinner table with his family. His dry wit and sharp sense of humor were always appreciated and he shared his love for the beauty of our nation with fabulous family vacations. Friday night family game nights were prevalent, as were the summer badminton games in the back yard. He took time out to take his children swimming at Windridge Country Club or sledding on a snowy day. Chris and Elizabeth often took their family camping. Boating was a favorite past time with his family. Even in his early 80s, he was seen on a slalom ski behind his boat on the lake. Beyond play, he taught a work ethic to his children that is appreciated to this day.

His character and integrity were a hallmark of Chris. He was measured and disciplined in all he did. One time he and Elizabeth purchased a baby bed for one of their grandchildren with his Sears credit card. After two years there were still no charges on his credit card for the purchase, so he contacted Sears to inform them of the oversight. The president of Sears wrote him back to say he had never seen this kind of honesty in his entire career.

Saturating and permeating every aspect of Chris' life was his relationship with Christ, suffusing it with joy and evangelistic zeal and sensitivity. Sure, he was still an engineer with an engineer's exactitude and precision . . . but the Christ in him trumped the engineer. The years didn't seem to age him, only to refine him to the purest gold.

First Baptist Church was a huge part of Chris and Elizabeth's lives. He served as a deacon for over 25 years. His love for music was expressed as he sang in the church choir. He taught the Bible to 7th graders and ultimately shared his love of scriptures in adult Bible classes. He and Elizabeth, upon retirement, served as Mission Service Corps volunteers with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, leading Prayer Seminars and coordinating Lay Renewal Weekends throughout California. He and Elizabeth were prayer warriors and their daily supplications, lifting up concerns and those they loved, will be missed in our daily lives.

A scripture verse Chris lived by was Jeremiah 33:3: "Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. " He had exuberance for life, a love of the Lord and his family and in his own quiet way, he demonstrated on a daily basis the Greek word "enthusiasm" which means "God within." This was Christopher D. McCool!

Family members celebrating Chris' graduation from this life are his three children and eight grandchildren: Todd Huss, Courtney Flynn, Sara Ducker Roberts, Laurie McCool Henderson, Josh Flynn, Eric McCool, Alex Flynn and Nathan Ducker. Chris and Elizabeth also have nine great grand children. Preceding Chris in death are siblings Edna Sheldon, Joe McCool, Ed McCool, Tim McCool, Vin McCool, Bill McCool, Lawrence McCool and Lewis McCool. He has one surviving brother, Dan McCool, of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania as well as many loved nieces and nephews.

His celebration service will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Owensboro Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Wednesday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory and after 9:00 a.m. on Thursday at the church.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to First on Missions though First Baptist Church, Owensboro or to Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.