Obit: Thomas Henry McNally

Thomas Henry McNally, 49, well-known Ogdensburg School teacher, died Saturday afternoon at 1:30 in the A. Barton Hepburn Hospital where he had been a patient only three hours.

Mr. McNally, who taught and coached in the local school system for the past 26 years, was taken to the hospital shortly after 10 Saturday morning. He was scheduled to go to Mercy Hospital in Watertown but his condition was such that he could not be moved any distance.

Mr. McNally was well known throughout the North Country as an authority on sports. He served as head football coach at Ogdensburg Free Academy in the early 1940s and served as baseball coach in the early 1950s.

On several occasions, Mr. McNally assisted with athletics at St. Mary’s Academy also. At one time, not too many years ago, he managed a softball team in the city softball league.

He was regarded as one of the top basketball and football officials in this section of the country.

Mr. McNally was forced to retire as an active basketball official some years ago, but had served as rules interpreter for the Northern New York Athletic Board for basketball. Hew as a member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials and until his death served as secretary-treasurer of the Northern New York Basketball Officials Association.

Despite his illness, Mr. McNally kept up to date on the Athletic happenings throughout the North Country. He officiated at football games this past fall and during the winter months, had been attending the basketball officials meetings in Potsdam. He was planning to attend a meeting in Potsdam today.

Funeral services for Mr. McNally have not yet been scheduled, pending the arrival of his oldest son from Moundsville, West Virginia. The body will be at the Laiorde-Briggs Funeral Home where friends may call.

Surviving Mr. McNally are his wife, the former Annette (Antoinette Valley) of this city; two sons, Charles M. McNally, a chemical engineer with the Solvay Chemical Company, Moundsville, West Virginia and James L. McNally, assistant to the Director of Admissions, State University College of Education, Potsdam.

Two daughters, Mary Ann, 16, a sophomore at Ogdensburg Free Academy and Susan, 10, a fifth grade student at Bishop Conroy Memorial School, also survive, as do two sisters, Mrs. Edwards (Lucille) LaCette of Syracuse and Mrs. Katherine Sylvester of Ogdensburg. Henry McNally, an uncle, also survives. Mr. McNally has three grandchildren.

Thomas Henry McNally was born June 25, 1911, the son of the late James and Lilian Caloren McNally of this city. He was educated in the local schools, graduating from Ogdensburg Free Academy in 1930.

On April 17, 1932, he was married to Antoinette Valley at Notre Dame Church in a ceremony performed by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. A. D. Charboneau.

He was graduated from Niagara University in 1934. While at Niagara, Mr. McNally was quite prominent in athletics. He participated in football, basketball and baseball at Niagara and was captain of the football team one year.

Mr. McNally returned to Ogdensburg in 1934 and joined the faculty of the Ogdensburg Junior Senior High School. He taught both junior high and senior high math during his 26 years in the Ogdensburg School System. He was a member of the Ogdensburg Teachers Association.

Mr. McNally first became seriously ill in the early 1950s. He was treated in the Neurological Institute at Montreal in 1953 and later underwent surgery for high blood pressure at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

An autopsy was performed at the Hepburn Hospital by Jan Majeranoski. Death was attributed to … Mr. McNally had suffered several coronary attacks recently, although not realizing it. Recently, Mr. McNally had been in terrific pain, but managed to teach school despite this. He was at school Friday and had a bad spell at home Friday night. He was taken to the hospital in the ambulance yesterday.

Mr. McNally was a member of St. Mary’s Cathedral parish and of the Sacred Heart Holy Naze Societies of the Church. He was also a member of the Ogdensburg Elks Lodge.