Obituary: Emmett McCoy, founder of McCoy's Building Supply

Emmett Francis McCoy, 88, of San Marcos, Texas, passed away Jan. 7. 

McCoy founded McCoy Supply Co. in the 1950s, which later became McCoy’s Building Supply, based in San Marcos, Texas. His is a classic “Greatest Generation” story in which he and his wife, Miriam, raised a family and built a business. Starting in a building no larger than a four-car garage, McCoy’s, at the time of Emmett’s retirement in 1997, had grown to more than 90 locations with sales exceeding $400 million. He was a pioneer in the cash-and-carry building materials market, and today McCoy’s is one of the largest family-owned businesses in the industry.

San Marcos, Texas, Mayor Daniel Guerrero said: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Emmett McCoy, who has been an outstanding business leader and benefactor in our community for many years. Our hearts go out to Miriam McCoy, the McCoy family and the McCoy Corporation employees."

Emmett was born in Houston on Feb. 27, 1923. He was the son of Frank and Margaret (Drees) McCoy, and grew up in Galveston, Texas. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Miriam Swanson McCoy; daughter Brenda McCoy Remme and husband Kaare; son Michael Emmett McCoy and wife Myra; Brian Francis McCoy and wife Wetonnah; daughter-in-law Cindy Cox McCoy; nine grandchildren and spouses; and 18 (soon to be 21) great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Dennis Patrick McCoy, and grandson, Keith Evan Remme.

Emmett’s family moved to Galveston, Texas, when he was 4 years old, the same year Frank McCoy founded McCoy Roofing Co. in 1927. Working in the shipyards in Orange, Texas, at the beginning of WWII, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in April 1943. He served in an Engineer Aviation Battalion in the Pacific Theater, and he was discharged with the rank of Sergeant in January 1946. He and Miriam married the very next month in upstate New York and came back to Texas to start their life together.

A public memorial service will be held on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, at 1:30 p.m. at the San Marcos Conference Center at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1001 East McCarty Lane in San Marcos, with a reception to follow. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center or the McCoy College of Business Foundation at Texas State University.