James Carter McKaig

J. Carter McKaig, of Naples, FL, died on September 7, 2023. He was the son of the late J. Arthur and Gertrude P. McKaig. Born in 1932 in Staten Island, NY, he spent most of his youth in Westfield, NJ. Carter graduated in 1950 from St. Benedict’s Prep School in Newark and from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, in 1954, where he was a member of the freshman golf team, the intercollegiate sailing club, and the debating society. He graduated (JD) from Georgetown University Law Center in 1957. That year after a brief stint with the Army, Carter served eight years with the District of Columbia National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves, from which he was honorably discharged with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. In 1958-59, Carter served as law clerk to federal appellate judge George W. Latimer, one of the original judges of the U.S. Court of Military Appeals in Washington, DC. In early 1960, he joined the Washington, law firm of Hedrick & Lane. He remained with it and its successor firm in the private practice of law for over 37 years, where he became a partner of the firm in 1968. For about twenty years, his work focused significantly on representing manufacturers and a major shipyard in the early years of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion programs for submarines and aircraft carriers. That work engaged him continuously with Admiral Hyman Rickover’s office (Code 08) of the Navy. Carter is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Virginia (Ginny); four sons, Christopher of Annapolis, MD, Mark (Cathy) of Bethesda, MD, Colin (Courtney) of West Windsor, VT, and Kevin (Nancy) of Orono, ME; 11 grandchildren; and three great grandchildren. He dearly loved each of them. Carter is also survived by a brother, Brady P. McKaig, M.D. of Cambridge, MD; numerous cousins; and many close friends. His marriage to Jane Deo McKaig, who remained a good friend of Carter and Ginny, ended in divorce in 1975. For nearly forty years, Carter was an active member of St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church in Bethesda, MD, heading several parish organizations and committees. Following retirement, Carter and Ginny moved to Kent Island on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and then, in 2005, to Naples, FL. There he tutored children in the local parochial school for many years. His favorite pastimes were reading, skiing, playing golf, sailing, and collecting 19th Century art. Over a period of 35 years, he and Ginny cruised the length and breadth of Chesapeake Bay, frequently with friends, in their sloop “Southern Accent.” He loved talking politics and tramping the woods and mountains of northern New Hampshire where he spent parts of nearly 60 consecutive summers at the family’s wooded home. Mass will be celebrated at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 5319 Ocean Gateway, Queenstown, MD 21658, on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 11 a.m., where friends and family may visit at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in St. Peter’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the American Heart Association or to a charity of your choice.

James Carter McKaig

May 1, 1932 - September 7, 2023