Submitted by his Mother

From the time McClay was a little boy‚ he was drawn to service. He was the first in his class to sign up for Cub Scouts seeing it through until he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

He first approached me and his father about joining the local volunteer fire company when he was fourteen. It took us a while to warm up to the idea‚ but he made such a convincing argument supporting the positives about the job‚ that we caved in and agreed to sign the permission papers.

Upon being accepted to The University of Scranton‚ he immediately pursued the ROTC program‚ attending several classes while he was a senior in high school. McClay’s Dad and both of his Grandfathers were veterans and he was so proud of their service to our country that he saw it as an honor to follow in their footsteps.

Two weeks after graduating from high school‚ when all of his friends were in Maryland celebrating senior week‚ McClay was home preparing to take EMT classes when on the morning of June 16th‚ his beeper went off. He responded to the ambulance call within minutes. Three blocks from home‚ he was involved in an accident with someone who did not stop at one of two stop signs between our house and the fire house. The next day McClay died of injuries sustained in that accident.

He is survived‚ loved and missed by Dad‚ Mom‚ and Sisters Elizabeth and Alli.