Obituaries

William John McCoy Jr.CIA Officer, Professor

William John McCoy Jr., 82, a former officer with the CIA who later became a professor of Chinese and an international businessman, died May 22 of cancer at Potomac Center rehabilitation facility in Arlington. He was an Arlington resident.

Dr. McCoy served in the Army during World War II and was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, forerunner of the CIA. He was awarded the Bronze Star and later served in the Marine reserves.

After the war, without benefit of an undergraduate degree, he received a master's degree in "Oriental languages and literature" from the University of Chicago in 1948. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Dr. McCoy served in the CIA from the late 1940s to 1964. From 1954 to 1964, he was based primarily in Japan and Hong Kong. During his stints in Washington, he lived McLean.

After beginning doctoral studies at Harvard University, he completed a PhD in Chinese linguistics at Cornell University in 1966. He taught Chinese at Cornell for the next 18 years.

In 1984, Dr. McCoy became general manager of a Squibb pharmaceutical plant in Shanghai. He later held executive positions in Shanghai with Sterling Medical Products and Nycomed, another pharmaceutical company, until his retirement in 1994.

Dr. McCoy was born in Veleda, Kan., and studied at the University of Kansas before serving in World War II.

His marriage to Joan D. McCoy ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Stella Fessler McCoy of Arlington; two daughters from his first marriage, Molly McCoy of Kerrville, Tex., and Katy McCoy of Kansas City, Kan.; a stepson, Freeman Fessler of Shortsville, N.Y.; a brother; a sister; and nine grandchildren.