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J.C. “Mac” McGinty passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family, on November 15, 2022. A native of West Point, GA, he was born in the back bedroom of the home on September 25, 1934, to J.C. McGinty, Sr and Ira Borders McGinty. Coined at birth by Ira’s sister as “Buddy”, he grew up in an idyllic town, with close relations to his Borders, Murphy, and McGinty families in the surrounding area. He attended and graduated from West Point High School in 1952, went on to graduate from Oxford College of Emory University, Emory University in Atlanta, and Atlanta Law School. Mac also attended and graduated from OCS in 1959 and served in the United States Army. He maintained close, consistent contact with the friends he made at each of these institutions, attending reunions, get-togethers, and gatherings, both formal and informal, throughout his life. He treasured his relationship with each group of friends and attended OCS reunions for more than 50 years. At the time of his passing, he was still in close contact with many of his high school classmates, college friends, and attorneys he worked with during his career. Mac met the love of his life, Janice Callahan, on a blind date, while stationed at Fort Jackson. They married in Columbia, SC on July 11, 1959, and recently celebrated 63 years of marriage. They have one daughter, Laura, whose husband Patrick was like a son to Mac. Mac took special pride in his two granddaughters, Molly and Lucy, who had the great fortune of growing up in the same town as their grandparents, and who saw him with extreme frequency. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed discussing family genealogy, and when prompted could quote world and local history. He particularly loved the military, Civil War, and World War II history. He was a staunch Conservative and a lifetime member of the NRA. He was a collector of many things, and enjoyed collecting military memorabilia, stamps, coins, and books. He had a brilliant mind for investments and enjoyed investing and following the stock market up until his passing. Mac was an avid reader for most of his life, and when his eyesight began to fail, he promptly switched to audiobooks. He was active locally, serving on the Board for the Georgetown County Museum and Historical Society. He also volunteered at Hobcaw Barony as a docent for many years. Always seeking knowledge, he became certified as a "Master South Carolina Naturalist" shortly after moving to the Lowcountry, as he became fascinated with the Lowcountry flora and fauna. Mac held many jobs in his lifetime, working as a City of Atlanta Policeman while attending Law School to support his family. He worked for Royal Insurance Company for more than 40 years rising the ranks to retire as a Senior Litigation Specialist, a job which required many trips throughout the United States and Puerto Rico to attend trials and mediations where the settlement value exceeded $500,000. He was known as a jovial, intelligent, quick witted, skilled negotiator, and loved to share stories of his adventures. HIs daughter treasured the many trips to south Florida, where they ate at family-run Cuban restaurants, and went deep sea fishing on charters. When his father died, he took over the family farm and ran operations for 15 years, traveling back and forth from Atlanta to West Point to tend to the many cows his family had owned, before selling them shortly thereafter due to care limitations. Upon retiring, however, he became a full-time farmer on his family farm, built a compound and stayed there 4-5 days a week, mostly growing hay and tending timber, but occasionally dabbling in edible crops. He enjoyed his solitude at the “farm” and bought several farm and construction “toys”, constructing roads and bridging streams there. Mac was a loving husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed. He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Jan, a daughter, Laura Tate, son in law Patrick Tate, and two granddaughters, Molly and Lucy Tate, all of Pawleys Island. His beloved dogs, Birdy and Sassy, (his “babies”), also mourn his passing. A memorial service will be held at 12:00 PM Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church.

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J.C. "Mac" McGinty Jr.

September 25, 1934 - November 15, 2022