John "Buddy" McPherson, 76, of State College and Fort Myers, Fla., died Monday, Sept. 13, 2010, at his home.
Born Dec. 2, 1933, in Greenwich, Conn., he was a son of Maisie Jarvie McPherson, of Largo, Fla., and the late Hugh McPherson. He is also survived by three children, Scott MacPherson and his wife, Cheryl, of Bound Brook, N.J., Kathryn McPherson, of Raleigh, N.C., and Douglas McPherson, of Sylva, N.C.; three grandchildren, Shelby, Savannah, and Danielle McPherson; a sister, Shirley Green and her husband, Jim, of Tampa, Fla.; a brother Robert McPherson and his wife, Veronica, of Charlotte, N.C.; and his long-time companion, Mary. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Karen McPherson and a granddaughter, Kira McPherson.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He earned a Bachelors degree from Westminster College and a Masters from Rutgers University in New Jersey, both in Business Administration. He was a banker for Pittsburgh National Bank and for Central Counties Bank, which became Mellon Bank. He was an active member of the Singles Sailing Club in Fort Myers, a member of the State College Kiwanis, the Moose Lodge, and the Free and Accepted Masonic Lodge in Pittsburgh. He was a founding member of the Port Matilda Yacht Club. He was active with the Boy Scouts of America, founding the first Boy Scout troop for overseas dependents in Misawa, Japan, during the Korean War. He was also active with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He was a life-long sailor. He had a passion for restoring antique and classic automobiles.
Visitation will be from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. A memorial service will be held in Florida at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Make-a-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania, The Gulf Tower, 707 Grant Street, 37th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, or to the Juniata Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America, 9 Taylor Drive, Reedsville, PA 17084.