Obit: Mack, Donald "Vance" (1920 - 2009)

Contact: Audrey Roedl
Email: audero@charter.net

Surnames: Mack, Hines, Summers

----Source: The Loyal TRG (Loyal, Clark County, Wis) 19 Aug 2009

Mack, Donald Vance (25 Feb 1920 - 08 Jun 2009)

Donald Vance Mack, 89, formerly of Loyal, died on Sunday, June 8, 2009, at his home in Melbourne, Australia. A service was held in Melbourne, but at the request of his family. His ashes are to be interred at Loyal. There will be a small military service at the Loyal Cemetery on Aug. 31, at 11 a.m., which will be honored by the military rites of the American Legion and which will also be attended by family members from Australia. He will be interred in the Mack family section of the cemetery.

He attended Loyal High School where he was quite popular and was a very talented pitcher for the baseball team. After graduation in 1937, he joined the U. S. Navy. During his time with the U. S. Navy, he saw action in the Atlantic, escorting convoys to Great Britain. Later, he was transferred to the Pacific theatre and while in Australia, he met Phyllis Hines in Sydney. They married in 1944, and the first of their three children (Ronald Vance) was born in Sydney. Wendy Lou and Gary Irwin were later born in the U.S. His wife left Australia to join him in the U.S., in 1946. He was stationed in Farragut, Idaho, and Seattle, Wash., for short periods, but spent most of his time at the major naval base (Ault Field) on Whidbey Island.

In 1956, he was transferred to Okinawa for three years with his family. It was here that he retired from the Navy in 1958, and worked as the Far East representative for the American Distilling Company. He became a very successful manager for them, managing the Pacific Market, which included countries from Japan to as far south as Vietnam. He chose to leave Okinawa in 1962, and seek a new life for his family in Australia. His time in the navy took him to many countries throughout the world. However, he managed to get back to the U.S. in the early 1970’. He came back to Wisconsin and put a call through, from Stevens Point airport, to his brother, Sherrin, in Loyal. From that point on, the friendship of the brothers and their families was firmly renewed and continues to this date, with regular contact and visits to Australia by his U.S. family and regular trips from Australia to the U.S. by his immediate family. Further visits to the U.S. were made by him and his wife. They managed to make it to the 50th reunion of the Loyal High School graduating class of 1937. It was a memorable night for him.

While in Australia, he became very active with the local baseball clubs that his sons, Ron and Gary, played with. He played a popular role as the "chief cook" in charge of the fundraising barbeques. His daughter, Wendy, was the first to marry and had the first family grandchild, which became a turning point in his life. His great love was his grandchildren, where he took quite an interest in their lives and pursuits. He had a great sense of humor and loved having fun with them telling storied, doing magic tricks, writing special letters, and much more.

Although he lived in Australia, he still took a keen interest in activities in the U.S. He subscribed to two cable networks in the U.S. and the television was rarely off of political events in the U.S. He was well-read and informed of world events. He regularly (almost weekly) rang his brother to chat about the families and politics.

Survivors include his wife, Phyllis; his brother, Sherrin (Leabel) Mack, Loyal; his children, Ron Mack, Wendy Lou (Grayson) Summers, and Gary (Barbara) Mack; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his sisters (nee Mack) Kehoe and Mildred (nee Mack) Sterr.

1930 Federal Census, Loyal, Clark, Wisconsin, United States, District: 0024, Family 1, Line 4

Vance D Mack, white, single male
Father's Birthplace: Wisconsin
Mother's Birthplace: Kansas

Household Members
Head Walter I Mack M 46 Wisconsin
Wife Lulu H Mack F 44 Kansas
Daughter Mildred I Mack F 17 Wisconsin
Son Vance D Mack M 10 Wisconsin
Son Sherrin L Mack M 4 Wisconsin
Daughter

Social Security Death Record

Donald V. Mack
Birth Date: 25 February 1920
Social Security Number: 396-38-3258
State: Wisconsin
Event Date: 8 June 2009
Age: 89