Timothy Sutton McFeely (March 30, 1959 - August 5, 2024) passed away at the too young age of 65 years. He was preceded in death by his father, Richard A. “Doc” McFeely, Sr. He is survived by his mother, Barbara B. Hartnett (Tom), his brother, Richard A. “Rick” McFeely, Jr. (Beth), his sister, Karen M. Weaver (Mike), four nieces and a nephew, and four great-nieces and a great-nephew. He is also survived by his stepmother, Lynne K. McFeely.
A graduate of Unionville High School in the Class of 1977 where he played both football and ice hockey, Tim proudly served his country for four years as a torpedo man on the U.S.S. Augusta, a Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine. He was honorably discharged with the highest commendations from the Navy for his meritorious service.
Tim was a chef by vocation and through the years worked in many fine dining establishments in Rhode Island, New York, and Maryland. He found great enjoyment in any kitchen and especially loved cooking for others, as well as gifting family and friends around the country with his baked/canned goods, and particularly his specialty hot sauces while often proclaiming that he had yet to find a pepper that could “best” him.
Tim voluntarily put his culinary skills to excellent use when he camped in a parking lot for weeks in Pascagoula, Mississippi while in a make-shift kitchen feeding hundreds of people who had been evacuated/displaced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Volunteerism was ingrained in his selfless spirit when he again offered his service as a member of Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization built to serve global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Although he always possessed a “boots on the ground” mentality any time someone needed aid, he became a stationary warrior for Team Rubicon and coordinated national relief efforts on his computer. He also volunteered a decade of his life serving as the webmaster for ACT Players, a local non-profit community theater, and for some time presided as the coach of Unionville’s ice hockey team.
Tim joined the Boy Scouts of America as a Cub and stayed in the scouting program in Troop 22 all the way up to achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He also served as a scoutmaster for a number of years with a neighboring troop. The beautiful trees between Unionville High School and the neighboring Middle School were planted as saplings by him as part of his Eagle Project, and they will long stand as a legacy of his hard work and commitment to the community and beyond.
A longtime voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction, Tim was extraordinarily knowledgeable about American history with a particular emphasis on military campaigns from the Revolutionary War through World War II. He was also an avid train collector and model-builder and had recently been working with his stepfather on creating an extensive train layout in the sun porch of the Hartnett house - a project that Tom will continue in Tim’s honor.
Tim had mastered great and self-taught command with computer programming and IT skills, and he utilized them in helping grow and expand his stepfather’s cottage industry, “Lingerlong Woodworking”. As partners, they created the most unique and exquisite cutting, cheese, flight/bar, and live-edge charcuterie boards, among many other items, using only American hardwoods, and those products can be found in shops from New London, to Kennett Square, to Lititz, Pennsylvania. He found immense joy in the tireless hours he shared with Tom, not just in their shop, but at countless vendor shows. Perhaps his fondest woodworking industry pastime though was posting pictures of their 20+ pound shop cat, Bert, who as Tim often noted “had dozens of boards to pick from, but always chose to lie on the one board they were getting ready to cut”.
Tim was a veteran outdoorsman with a particular affinity for camping and backpacking. He possessed a deep respect for the sacredness of nature and felt tremendous compassion for all things living. Above all else, he was at heart a patriot who loved his country as fiercely as he did his family and friends. He will long be remembered for his generosity and kindness, his wickedly dry wit, and his desire to be the person you could count on when a need for help arose.
Fair winds and following seas, Tim. Rest in peace and Godspeed until we meet again.
Tim’s ashes will be interred in the cemetery at London Grove Friends Meeting after a private service.
Arrangements are by Matthew Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. (484-734-8100) of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. To view Tim's online obituary and leave condolences, please visitwww.griecofunerals.com
