Obituary for Lloyd D. McClatchey Jr.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Lloyd Delbert McClatchey, Jr., 90, at 1:00 pm on Friday, January 13th, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marshall. Rev. Monsignor Zacharias Kunnakkattuthara and Father Denzil Vithanage will serve as co- celebrants. Lloyd died peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer, Parkinson’s, and Lewy Body dementia. Visitation will be at Sullivan’s Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday, January 12th, at 5:00 pm, with the rosary starting at 6:30pm.
Graveside services will be conducted at St. Joseph Cemetery.
Lloyd was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 13, 1926 to Lloyd D. McClatchey, Sr., and Olive Christine Lamour. Olive preceded Lloyd, Jr. in death before his first birthday. After four years of life with his grandparents on the McClatchey’s Iowa farm, Lloyd, Jr. re-joined his dad in Oklahoma who had married Violet Jean Fish. She became his new loving mother. Oklahoma would be their home for many years until the family was transferred to New York City. They resided in South Orange, New Jersey where Lloyd, Jr. graduated from Columbia High School. They then moved to New York City where he completed his freshman year at New York University. his dad was transferred to Lake Charles, LA. Shortly afterwards, Lloyd, Jr., now called “Mac†by many, enlisted in the Navy Air Corps in World War II. He was trained in a fast-track program in radio electronics toward the end of the war.
During peacetime, Mac resumed his education at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge where he was president of Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity. He was also named to honorary academic and leadership fraternities, such as Tau Beta Pi, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Omicron Delta Kappa. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1949 and continued graduate work in Business Administration. Mac’s enthusiastic love for L.S.U. and his Fighting Tigers was life long.
On Christmas Day 1952, Mac married Carita Ann Martin, the love of his life, who was his ever-present friend and companion for 64 years. They first resided in Baton Rouge, LA where Mac was an engineer with Esso Standard Oil until they moved to Marshall, TX in 1958.
In Marshall, Mac continued his engineering career with Thiokol at Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant in Karnack and later worked for the U.S. Army there. He was a member and past president of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers and a member of the American Ordinance Association.
A life-long Christian, Mac was a quiet model of Christian discipleship as a husband and father. He was faithful, respectful, hardworking, and loving. He always encouraged his wife and children in practicing the faith. He supported St. Joseph Catholic Church and School and formally became a Catholic Christian in his fifties. He was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus, involved in the charitable outreach in the church, and was on the board of the United Churches of Marshall Food Pantry. He was also active in Meals on Wheels. He loved being a member of St. Joseph’s and cherished the many Sundays and other days that he could worship and pray together with his wife, family, and many friends.
“Daddy Mac,†his grandchildren’s name for him, was deeply loved and will be sorely missed. Nevertheless, happy memories of him in faith, family, fun, food, friendships, Tiger football, and laughter will continue to be a central part of McClatchey family life together.
Besides his son Joseph, those preceding him in death were his parents and his infant sister, Lou Ann. His survivors include wife Carita and his children: Lou Ann Kemper of Grapevine; Jeannie Furrh and husband Kyle, and Kathy Wood and husband Billy of Marshall; Debbie Johnson and husband Steele of Mansfield; Patty Bell and husband Rodney of Kilgore; Cindy Kimbrell and husband Bobby of Marble Falls; Lloyd, III (“Mackyâ€) McClatchey and wife Mady of Baton Rouge; Angie Snyder of Frisco; and Judy Williams and husband Keith from Austin. Mac is also survived by 18 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
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