Marvin Clyde McFeaters, Jr., National Legislative Officer of the Catholic War Veterans of the U.S.A. and a retired insurance and investment broker, died Sept. 10, 2020 at his home in Falls Church. He was a decorated Vietnam War Navy combat veteran who served two and a half tours with units of the U.S. Navy River Patrol Force in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. As a passionate supporter of services for veterans he also served in other national level offices of the Catholic War Veterans including as National First, Second and Third Vice Commanders. At the time of his demise, he was leading the CWV’s participation in the TUS-100 initiative to commemorate the Centenary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in 2021.
McFeaters was born March 31, 1945 in Arlington to Marvin C. McFeaters Sr. of Oklahoma and Verna S. McFeaters of Iowa. Because of his father’s service with the U.S. Agency for International Development, he grew up in multiple locations and graduated high school from the American Community School at Beirut, Lebanon. He served as an enlisted man in the Navy from 1967 to 1969, spending most of that time on one and a half tours in Vietnam with units of the River Patrol Force. He attained the rank of Petty Officer Second Class and was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Vietnam Service Medal with one silver star, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon with one bronze star, the Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon and other decorations. He was a life member of the Gamewardens of Vietnam, the U.S. Navy River Patrol Force Association, the oldest continuously operating Vietnam Veterans’ organization in the United States. He was also a life member of the Disabled American Veterans.
After his military service,. McFeaters obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors from Columbia University in New York City. He then went into the life insurance business, working for several national level firms before starting his own insurance brokerage firm in 1979, operating as sole proprietor and Principal until he retired from the business in 2019.
McFeaters served for almost 20 years in senior local and national level positions of the CWV. He received the CWV’s Order of Saint Sebastian Award in 2011, the organization’s highest award for dedicated service to the CWV. He also was the founding Chairman of the Greater Falls Church Veterans Council, a non-profit organization composed of posts of the CWV, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 45 years, Evelyne R. McFeaters, whom he met in New York City and married in Manila, Philippines. Other survivors include a sister, also of Falls Church, a nephew and several nieces residing both in the U.S. and the Philippines, and relatives in Kansas. He was a parishioner of St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church for 44 years. He worked with the Catholic Diocese of Arlington and the Archdiocese of the Military Services of the United States on military support programs.
There will be a wake from 5 – to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020 at Murphy Funeral Home, 1102 West Broad Street in Falls Church, VA 22046 (tel: 703-533-0341). Mass of Christian Burial at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 at St. James Catholic Church, 905 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA 22046 (tel: 703-532-8815). The mass will be livestreamed at the Murphy Funeral Home website entry for Marvin McFeaters (www.murphyfuneralhomes.com). Interment immediately following at National Memorial Park Cemetery, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042 (tel.: 703-560-4400).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the DAV Charitable Service Trust, 3725 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076 (tel: 877-426-2838, in the name of Marvin C. McFeaters, Jr.)
