Mr. McCabe started as a police reporter for The New York American in 1936 and later worked for The Puerto Rico World-Journal, United Press and The San Francisco Examiner before joining The Chronicle in the mid-1950s.
He wrote a book called Tall Girls are Grateful which humorously reflected upon his love/hate relationship with women, and another called The Good Man's Weakness recording his wry thoughts on drinking, the other love/hate relationship in his life.