James "Jim" Brendan McGuire II

Chandler, Arizona – James Brendan McGuire, II, 73, son of the late James Brendan and Opal Mary (Brady) McGuire, was born in San Antonio, Texas, on October 8, 1950. He passed away on December 13, 2023, in Chandler, Arizona. We all miss this generous, thoughtful man.

Jim was not a big fan of school in his early years. He spent a few terms at Francis C. Hammond High School where he rowed crew. The school was named after a Navy hospital corpsman who was awarded the medal of honor during the Korean War. He left high school and worked a few different jobs until he made the decision that changed his life. In February 1970, he joined the United States Navy. Contrary to his previous lack of interest in education, he attended dozens of classes leading to his qualification as a hospital corpsman and a GED. He was not done with his education. As he was transferred to many parts of the world, he continued to take courses resulting in an Associate in Science degree from George Washington University.

His assignments in the Navy included several ship postings including the guided missile destroyer USS Conyngham (DDG-17). He traveled the world, which he later captured on a map he kept on a wall in his house in Chandler. His many ports of call included China, Japan, Scotland, garden spots in the Mediterranean and several postings in the U.S. His most notable post was aboard the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), which served as the flagship for the Commander Seventh Fleet in the Arabian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 1990-91.

One of his favorite stories was that no one in the Navy every disrespected two people:  the payroll clerk or the hospital corpsman. Annoying the hospital corpsman might lead to a magical loss of vaccine records resulting in a Navy guy having to take his shots all over again. Ouch.

He rose in the enlisted ranks of the Navy to HMCS, also known as Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman. He retired in 1993 having served his country for over 23 years.

His final posting was at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He stayed in Colorado for a couple of years working first in the healthcare field (which he did not like) until, on a lark, he applied for a job as a car salesman. That position led to a job in Chandler, Arizona, with Earnhardt Ford selling automobiles and trucks. He became the Fleet Sales Manager for Earnhardt, a position that he held until his death.

Jim’s coworkers and friends valued his technical expertise in car sales and his skills as a chef. He was a renowned grillmeister turning out mountains of grilled meat for parties and get-togethers. However, he was most loved for his production of hundreds of delicious chocolate chip cookies every Christmas.

Jim was married and divorced four times (including Marilyn Sue Carter and Sandra Lee Boehm) plus twice to the same woman, Linda Kathleen McGuire who predeceased him in 2022.

Jim is survived by his sister, Mary Patricia O’Connell; brother, Michael J. McGuire; and nieces and nephews Kathi, Colleen, Chip, Kevin, David, Anna and their families. His brother Thomas A. McGuire predeceased him in 2018.

According to his wishes, he was cremated and his ashes were spread in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California. Jim hoped that his friends would remember him by donating to the Wounded Warrior Project, (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org)