McCarran died in Hawthorne, Nevada on September 28, 1954, shortly after leaving the stage following a speech he gave at a political rally. According to news accounts published after his death, McCarran suffered a fatal heart attack, after having recovered from attacks in 1951 and 1953. McCarran was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Reno. In 1903, McCarran married Harriet Martha "Birdie" Weeks (1882-1963). They were the parents of four daughters and one son. Samuel McCarran became a doctor and worked in Reno. Margaret and Mary became members of the Order of Dominican Sisters. Norine was a longtime employee of the Library of Congress. Patricia became the wife of Edwin Parry Hay of Maryland. McCarran is remembered as one of the few Democrats to oppose President Franklin D. Roosevelt and reject the New Deal. In addition, he was a proponent of the aviation industry; he was a sponsor of the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 and the Federal Airport Act of 1945, and was a proponent of establishing the United States Army Air Forces as the United States Air Force separate from the Army. He was also an ardent anti-Communist. Harold L. Ickes described McCarran as "easy-going, old-shoe 'Pat'" in a column criticizing McCarran as a tool of the oil companies, for not supporting certain regulations Ickes favored. American journalist John Gunther was also critical of McCarran's alleged corporate ties, writing that he resembled gold "in that he is soft, heavy, and not a good conductor." McCarran International Airport located in Las Vegas, Nevada is named after Senator McCarran. McCarran Boulevard in Reno is named for Pat McCarran, as is McCarran Street in North Las Vegas. A statue of McCarran is included in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol. Each state is allowed to display likenesses of two individuals; Nevada's are those of McCarran and Sarah Winnemucca. In 2017, Nevada's three Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to Governor Brian Sandoval and state legislative leaders and stated their view that review of McCarran's career might warrant removal of his statue from the National Statuary Hall Collection. On January 11, 2017, it was reported that a poll of Nevada legislators indicated support for removing McCarran's statue from the collection. A bill introduced in the Nevada State Senate, SB 174, which called for the removal of the statue and renaming of McCarran International Airport for former U.S. Senator Harry Reid, failed to be passed before the end of the 2017 legislative session on June 1, 2017.