Even the Phillies reached out when the founder of McCusker’s Tavern died on opening day: ‘He became South Philly’s father’

For 56 years, McCusker’s Tavern has been a place for fans in South Philadelphia to come together and watch any Philly sporting event as a family. The bar is decorated in Phillies memorabilia — from the pennants hanging on the wall to the seats from Veterans Stadium to the Phillies bobbleheads furnishing the curio cabinet.

The late John McCusker thought of it all.

“His famous line was, ‘The day you can’t bring your mother and your sister in here is the day that I’ll close the bar,‘” said his son, Douglas McCusker. “He always wanted a great atmosphere for people.”

John grew up in the same neighborhood his entire life — living in the same house until he died less than a month ago at 80 years old, leaving the bar to his twin sons, Douglas and Ryan, 48, and their sister, Katie, 50. He opened McCusker’s Tavern in 1968 after learning that Gannon’s Bar was looking to sell. Since then, John became a part of the South Philly community.

“He was like a second father to a lot of people in this establishment,” Douglas said. “He treated everybody like he’s known them for a million years. He welcomed everybody with open arms and he took a lot of pride in this business and his community.

“He could talk to the president of the United States one minute and then talk to a regular person, like a blue-collar guy, the next minute. He was just that kind of personality.”

To bar regulars like Brian Heffron — also known by his pro wrestling alias, the Blue Meanie — McCusker’s Tavern is a second home. And the McCuskers are his family. Heffron has been going to the bar for more than 20 years, showing up about two times a week. He and his wife, Tracy Root, even got married at the bar last April.

“When it comes to McCusker’s Tavern, there are no strangers, just friends who haven’t met yet,” Heffron said. “Doug, Ryan, Katie, and John McCusker are more family to me than some of my own family members. John McCusker is one of the most warm, welcoming people I’ve ever met.

“You get to know John McCusker and he became South Philly’s father. Everybody looked at him as a father — whether it was for advice or they just needed to talk to somebody. He was a father figure to so many people in South Philly for so many generations.”

According to Douglas, some of the most important things to John included his family, McCusker’s Tavern, the community he has built, and, of course, the Phillies. Douglas recalled being bored as a child on a Saturday afternoon or early evening and hearing his father say, “OK, let’s take a walk down to Veterans Stadium.”

“The Phillies meant everything to me and my family — like, we were raised on baseball,” Douglas said. “We’ve been to a lot of baseball games. The Phillies were like his No. 1 thing. I always say that this place is a mom-and-pop shop that sells beer and a place to gather to watch sporting events. We always say we love the Eagles — do not get me wrong — but we’re a Philadelphia Phillies bar.”

To the McCuskers, it felt significant that the family’s patriarch, who loved baseball so much, would die on March 27, Phillies opening day.

“It was opening day and the Phillies were playing in Washington,” Douglas said. “That was like something meaningful. We’re all saying that now we have angels in the outfield and we’re going to win the World Series because we have somebody looking out for the team. That’s how much it meant to him.”

This will be the first season Douglas, Ryan, and Katie will be watching games without their father. The Phillies organization sent condolences.

“The Phillies have heard of the passing of John, and we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences during this most difficult time,” the letter said. “It is clear that John was an avid sports fan who loved watching, supporting, and following the Phillies. We wish we had the pleasure of knowing him personally. Please know that the team appreciates the loyal and unwavering support he has shown the Phillies over the years. May all your memories of him comfort and sustain you during this difficult time.”

The Phillies did not respond to a request for comment.

Along with the letter from the Phillies, a customer sent the family a custom Phillies jersey with the No. 68, representing the year the bar opened.

“It’s going to be difficult, especially if we get further — because I do expect us to go to the playoffs — but this season we’re going to celebrate him more than anything else,” Douglas said. “And with the Phillies reaching out to us, we were just blown away. We were just absolutely blown away. In my opinion, the Phillies are the classiest team in all professional sports. That’s what I always say.”

Douglas received the jersey and the letter on Thursday evening, less than a week after his father’s funeral. And in the same fashion that McCusker’s Tavern is decorated in Phillies memorabilia, John had the perfect Phillies-themed send-off.

Held at St. Monica Roman Catholic Church, a little over a mile from Citizens Bank Park, John’s funeral was full of red and white flowers, a Phillies baseball made of flowers with the “P” logo in the middle, and a personalized bobblehead — given to him on his 80th birthday by “cousin Charlie” — placed inside the casket with him.

“The Phillies were his passion besides his family and his children,” Douglas said. “It was like his No. 1 passion.”

To those who knew him — and there were a lot after 56 years at the helm of a corner bar in South Philly — John will be remembered not just as a father to his three children, but to the entire community. He’ll be remembered not just as a Phillies fan, but as someone whose passion for the team was contagious. And he’ll be remembered not just as the owner of McCusker’s Tavern, but as an all-around great human.

“When somebody saw that he had passed, they responded, ‘Oh, this is the sweet man that used to say hello to me every day,‘” Douglas said. “That person didn’t know about him as the owner of McCusker’s Tavern. They just recognized him as a nice man walking down the street and that’s one of my favorite things to remember him by.”