Richard (Dick) McCann passed away peacefully with his wife, his two loving sons and their wives taking turns holding his hand. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, uncle, son and sibling to a family who loved him very much. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Carol Werner McCann, his oldest son, Eric McCann of Hamilton, Virginia (Michelle McCann), his youngest son, Darrin McCann of Anderson, SC (Stephanie McCann), and three wonderful grandchildren by Eric and Michelle, William McCann (Graduate from William and Mary University), Nathan McCann (Junior at University of South Carolina) and Evelyn McCann (Sophomore at University of Virginia). He is also Survived by his sister, Mary Ellen McCann Pratali, of Ajijic, Mexico, his brother Tim McCann and his wife Nancy along with their sons, Patrick and Sean, of Charlotte, NC., and three adorable great-nieces, Rosemary, Kaia, and May Margaret. He absolutely adored his family and all our family memories! As our youngest Son said, “Dad’s love for his family members you could see in his eyes!” He was pre-diseased by his father, Gerard (Jerry) McCann, his mother, Mary Madden McCann, his brother-in-law Wayne Pratali, several uncles, aunts, cousins, and his four grandparents.

Dick’s professional life was full and exciting! After graduating from The University of Maryland in 1967 with a degree in History, Politics and Government, he was hired by the United States Secret Service branch of the federal government in the Fall of that year. He was stationed in Washington, D.C. for the next eight years where he quickly became a member of the security detail for Presidential Candidate Edmund Muskie, President Richard Nixon, and Vice President/President Gerald Ford. As our oldest son said, “Dad was on the plane with Nixon when he took his famous trip to China in 1972, and there are countless other cool things he did, but Dad rarely talked about them or himself. He was more interested in you.” He was promoted to Special Agent in the San Francisco Field Office for the next six and a half years as part of the team of agents around the world who help protect our country’s financial security. While he lived and worked out there, he and other agents were called upon to help protect President Ford the day he was famously the targeted by Assassin Sara Jane Moore. He then had to spend a year on temporary Protection Duty with Presidential Candidate Jimmy Carter every other month back in Plains, GA. After his tenure in San Francisco, he came back to Washington, DC to be part of the Presidential Detail for Ronald Reagan and then became Head of Vice President George Bush’s detail. He eventually ended up as the Assistant Deputy Director of the United States Secret Service where he retired in 1989. After retiring from the Service, he worked for five years with a large Security Corporation called Vance International working cases all over the world. He was then recruited by Novartis Pharmaceutical where he became Director of Global Investigations where he was able to work out of Summit, NJ and Basel, Switzerland. Eric, Darrin and Michelle were able to visit Dick and Carol in both exciting locations!

When he fully retired from his very full career he and Carol moved to Georgetown, SC where they built a lovely retirement home on a golf course about a mile from the Beach in a community called Debordieu Colony. They always had dogs and continued to make them a part of the family! He had a huge selection of bird feeders and bird houses so he and his dogs would frequently hop on the golf cart and go around the property to feed them! Dick and Carol continued to travel the country and world, and have their children, grandchildren, family and friends come for visits to Debordieu to enjoy beach time, golf, and coastal fun for the next 24 years. Dick was an avid athlete and sports lover. He played football, baseball and basketball in high school. He fell in love with tennis in his 20’s and 30’s, along with downhill snow skiing during the years they lived in California. He was always an excellent athlete with every sport he played, and as a devoted golfer he maintained a low handicap well into his 70’s! He loved and enjoyed all his golf buddies, but his favorites were his sons and grandchildren who are all good golfers now. He loved to coach his own two sons as they grew up and especially enjoyed baseball and basketball. He was a Commanders/Redskins fan his entire life!

Dick and Carol recently moved back to the Washington, DC area and moved into a continuing care community in the independent living section. They were there for two years when he developed serious heart failure and suffered a large stroke which took his life on Monday, August 24th, 2026, just shy of his 81st Birthday.

The family is planning for a special family only service in December when everyone can be together at his gravesite in Cool Spring Natural Cemetery in Berryville, VA which is a serene, natural site on the sacred conservation land of the Cistercian Monks of Holy Cross Abbey. There will also be a Celebration of His Life sometime in October.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution to one of Dick's favorite charities: the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), the Wounded Warrior Project, and/or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. You may also choose to support a local animal/canine rescue, or another charity of your choice.