William "Mac" Mcdaniel

In Loving Memory of William "Mac" McDaniel
November 9, 1927 - March 17, 2016

William "Mac" McDaniel passed away peacefully on March 17, 2016, at the age of 88, from natural causes. Mac was born in Roy, New Mexico on November 9, 1927. He grew up on the family ranch in nearby Mosquero, New Mexico, and was the youngest child of Elmer Thornton McDaniel and Nellie Bly McDaniel.

Mac attended school in, and graduated from Mosquero High School in 1945. At the age of 18, he left home to join the Merchant Marine Service. He attended Merchant Marine training at Catalina Island in California. During his training, World War II ended, but since there was still a need for trained seamen, he finished his training and went to work on a Liberty troop ship sailing out of Seattle to the Philippines. For the next two years, he sailed throughout the Pacific; moving troops and war-related material needed to wind down the war. After working in the Pacific, he moved to working on tankers shipping out of Galveston, Texas. During a visit home to New Mexico, the Korean War broke out.

Mac was drafted into the Army in the summer of 1950, he was sent to Camp Polk, Louisiana for infantry training. In the winter of 1951, as a member of Company C, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, he shipped off to the port city of Inchon, South Korea, where he was sent to the front lines. He spent the winter fighting in the trenches in "no man's land" on the north-south border. On May 30, 1952, his position was attacked by Chinese mortars and one of the mortar rounds landed in the entryway of his bunker. He suffered severe damage to his ankle. After surgery to repair the damage, he was honorably discharged from the Army in July of 1952 with the Purple Heart medal. After leaving the Army, Mac returned to the Merchant Marines. He worked primarily on tankers moving oil around the world among the Persian Gulf, Japan and the US.

In 1956, while attending a Christmas party of a shipmate, he was introduced to Mildred Widen, the friend of the shipmate's wife. It was love at first sight with his beloved Millie. A little over a year later, on March 22, 1958, Mac and Mille were wed at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Long Beach, California. That same year, they bought a house in Long Beach, and the following year their first son, Jim, was born. Because he was missing much of his son's development and growth, Mac decided that the life of a sailor was no longer for him. He quit his job at sea and went to work for the U. S. Postal Service as a letter carrier. In 1964, Mac and Millie's youngest son, Tom, was born.

Mac had a long career with the post office. He spent most of his years on the same route, serving the neighborhood and medical offices around Memorial Hospital in Long Beach. In August of 1978, he was featured in a Los Angeles Times article about his "best friend" on the job; a German Shepard named "Lady", who followed him faithfully around on his route every day protecting him from other dogs, and occasionally getting into a bit of mischief herself.

Mac retired from the Post Office in 1987. After a lifetime of walking decks, infantry trenches and mail routes, he decided to take up golf and continued his walking every weekday, making many friends on the local golf courses. His favorite time to play was early in the morning when the seniors got a special deal and could play for 75 cents. Mac and Millie loved to travel together and took many trips throughout the world. They especially loved cruising and visiting Millie's relatives in Sweden. Mac loved spending time with his grandchildren, and shared his love of golf by teaching them all the game. When Mac wasn't on the course or tinkering with his woodworking tools, he and Millie delivered meals to shut-ins for Meals on Wheels.

Mac and Millie continued to live in the first house they bought on Maine Avenue in Long Beach until 2005, when they decided to sell the house and live the life of leisure at Sunrise Retirement Village in Seal Beach. They said it was the closest thing to being on a cruise while still on land. They made many friends at Sunrise, and lived there happily until Millie's passing in 2008. Mac then moved to Bixby Knolls Towers for several years and most recently lived at Vista Gardens in the town of Vista near Tom and Anne and their family until his passing.

Mac is preceded in death by his brothers, Ray, Frank and Harry, and his sister, Novelle. He is survived by his two sons Jim and Tom, daughters-in-law Stacy and Anne and 5 grandchildren: Ryan, Meredith, Zach, Josie and Chance. A private service for the family will be held at Green Hills Memorial Park, Rancho Palos Verdes California.