Obituaries

John McCabe

December 5, 1935 - March 25, 2025

John MCabe was born in Machias, Maine, the youngest son of Gordon and Carolyn (Leighton) McCabe. In 1937, his family (including his five siblings: Helene (Hawkins), Peggy (Boyajian), Buster, Jean (Hawksley), and Joan (Wallace) moved to Florida. When John was three years old, both parents died, and John was placed in an orphanage. John excelled academically but he struggled emotionally. At the age of fifteen, he permanently left the orphanage and hit the road hitching rides with long distance truckers.

Jack served in the Air Force during the Korean War and was honorably discharged. He started taking classes part time at the University of Miami while still in the military. Then he transferred to Florida State University, where he earned a BS degree in mathematics. Later, with a grant from the National Science Foundation, he earned a Master’s degree in mathematics from Rutgers. While mathematics was Jack’s love, teaching was his true calling where he excelled and touched the lives of so many high school and college students. He was an enthusiastic teacher who motivated his students through humor and realistic challenges. He was well respected by his peers and was rewarded by being promoted to the district to assist with mathematics and computer instruction as well as district wide testing.

Feeling drawn back to working with students, he served as assistant principal before finally retiring from the Volusia County school system in Florida. Retirement was not for Jack, however. He started a second career teaching at a private college preparatory boarding school, Canterbury in Connecticut. There, he taught mathematics and science classes, mentored fellow teachers, coached tennis and football and tutored individual students.

Finally, retiring and returning to Florida, he wrote his autobiography: “Unspoken Love: An Orphan’s Journey” and numerous math books including “Preparing for Calculus: The Necessary Language, Concepts and Skills”. Jack was an active member of the Florida Trail Association. He enjoyed the outdoors and spent his spare time hiking, backpacking, camping, canoeing, boating and, in his later years, RVing and sitting around a campfire. He loved gathering with friends to play tennis, pool, cards, and RummyKub. Jack was passionate about trains and often took train trips, including traveling across Russia. His urge to know more about others cultures took him on trips to Australia, Cuba and other Central American countries.

Jack is preceded in death by his wife Margaret (Bingham). He is survived by his daughter, Jaclyn (Marsh) and husband Donnie, his granddaughter Jennifer (Gufreda) and husband Serin, his great-granddaughter Olive Maxine, his niece Carol Davis, and his stepchildren Steve, John, and Elizabeth Edgar.