Del R. McCleary of Cooper City, passed away on April 12, 2023 at the age of 93. He is survived by his wife of sixty-seven years Arline Joyce McCleary, son John McCleary, daughter Linda Condon, son Jeff McCleary, eight grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents Del “Mac” and Alma McCleary and sister Shirley Jones.

Del was born in Joplin, MO June 21, 1929. In 1932 his family relocated to Atlanta, GA. Living and going to school in Atlanta, Del enjoyed a variety of sports. In high school he earned varsity letters in football, boxing, and track and field. He also worked for Genuine Parts Company and was a member of JROTC. His participation in extra curriculars fostered a competitive spirit and an outgoing personality that served him well throughout his life.

Del was conscripted for the Korean War in 1951. During his service Del was trained in the processing of film and the production of military maps. He earned the rank of sergeant and was discharged in 1953. The skills he learned while in the service prepared him for a career in photo imaging.

After the service, Del went to work for Addressograph-Multigraph. It was here he met Arline Joyce Mason. They married in 1954. During the next three years they had two children – John and Linda.

In 1957 (?) he was hired by Xerox Corporation. He worked for the company for the next 32 years. Dissatisfied with temperate north Georgia they transferred to Miami, FL in 1959. In 1961 Del & Joyce added to the family a second son – Jeff.

In Miami he astutely balanced a career with Xerox with the passion for fishing.  The warmer temperatures and proximity to water afforded more opportunities. These opportunities were seldom wasted. One could say he was a fisherman with a job problem. His fishing exploits took him to the Keys, the Gulf, and southeast Florida. The family dined well.

Del and Joyce lived in Miami until 1978 when they left the hustle and bustle of Miami for the country living of Cooper City. In 1987 Del retired from Xerox and pursued an even greater passion – golf.

He and Joyce spent many years after retirement playing golf and traveling the world. They played Arrowhead as well as golf courses throughout the U.S. Golf did not take up all his time in retirement. They also found time to travel the world. With friends they traveled to Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand.

Del also spent time helping others with home improvement projects. Throughout his life, he enjoyed working on his cars, his yard, and his home.  He was never intimidated by anything that ran on gas or electricity. He was fond of saying “if a man built it, a man can fix it!” He saw himself as the consummate fix-it man and gave his time and energy to helping others.

More importantly Del’s concern and love for his family and friends ran deep. He attended and participated in every life event he could. Whether it was a graduation, a marriage, or the birth of a new baby he was there with words of encouragement and inspiration. These words were tempered with endearing humor that made him gregarious. He filled the room with his personality.

Del leaves behind memories indelibly etched on to our hearts.

Instead of flowers the family request donations be sent to St. Jude Children’s Hospital    stjude.org

Memorial Gathering to be held on Friday, April 28, 2023 from 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM, with Service at 4:00 PM at Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care, 1600 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33024.