Andy McCarthy, Managing Director of Roy McCarthy Coaches, died at the age of 65 on Friday 12 September.
Mr McCarthy joined the family business in 1981 and was still working right up to his passing – latterly on a part-time basis.
He had been MD of the Macclesfield-based operator since the late 1980s when his father and co-founder, Roy McCarthy took a back seat.
He is survived by his wife, Lyn McCarthy, who is a company director, as well as sons Max and Danny, who had taken over day-to-day running of the business as directors.
Having built up Roy McCarthy Coaches from three coaches to a fleet of 12, offering tours, day trips and private hire, Mr McCarthy was known for keeping his vehicles in pristine condition.
Max says: “His motto was that the vehicle must always be spotlessly clean and maintained to the highest standard. This was evident from the fact there was always a list of operators that wanted to buy the vehicles.”
He adds: “He always wanted to stay hands-on, driving and working in the garage, so a small fleet was always his goal. He never wore a suit and would rather be in his overalls with an oily rag in his top pocket. If somebody wanted to see ‘the boss’ they often walked past him – which he liked!”
His son also notes that he was the first driver from the business back on the road after the return from the COVID shut-down, taking a day trip group to Derbyshire.
Mr McCarthy had a passion for Bedford coaches and he had a private fleet of commercial and military vehicles which he would show at rallies.
“He was the fount of knowledge when it came to Bedfords and would help anyone to fix them,” says Max. “He was a man that could fix anything, a brilliant businessman and a great man to know.”
