IJ Mac McGinnis Obituary (1933

IJ (Mac) McGinnis, of St. George Utah, Washington County, passed away on August 18, 2022, in his home. Mac was born on October 29, 1933, in Boone North Carolina to James and Faye McGinnis. Mac was born in a jail house in the middle of the great depression. His father was the local sheriff and the family lived in a room at the back of the jail. His parents didn’t know what to name him, so his birth certificate just says, “baby boy McGinnis.” Later, his mom named him IJ. Having just initials for his first name led to many nicknames throughout his life and the one that stuck was Mac. In the late 30’s, the family bought a farm in Missouri and lived there until his father passed away. Mac’s mother moved into town and opened a diner during World War 2. Following the war, his mother got a job with the Navy, which lead to the family moving to Oxnard California. Mac attended Oxnard High School and was the class of 1951. That same year, Mac enlisted in Air Force, which began a long 20-year career in the military. Mac was stationed all over the world, Alaska, Morocco, Okinawa, and fought in both Korea and Vietnam. And he even taught soldiers how to jump out of helicopters for Desert Storm. While being stationed at Nellis Air Force base, Mac met the love of his life, Linda and married her in 1965. After returning from Vietnam, Mac retired from the military and moved back to Las Vegas, to work for the Air Force, as civilian, for another 20 years. He then moved on to manage the Las Vegas Executive Air Terminal. If Mac wasn’t working, or helping Linda with honey-dos at home, he could be found on the golf course. Alongside Linda, he served many years at the Las Vegas temple, Bishop’s Store house, and the St. George temple. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was a central part of his life. Mac was a convert to the church and loved to tell how he would steal a co-workers Book of Mormon at his lunch break to find out what was in the book, which lead to him getting baptized. Mac enjoyed spending time with his family and sharing stories about his past. Moreover, his family loved to listen to his stories about riding horses as a kid, growing up in the great depression and fighting in wars. He was a magnificent husband, father, and grandfather. The world is a lesser place without him, and he will be missed. He is survived by his children, Shawn (Stacey) McGinnis, Kelly McGinnis, Shannon McGinnis, Mike (Laura) McGinnis, 13 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. Mac was preceded in death by his wife, Linda, his daughter Keri, his parents, and all of seven of his siblings. He will be laid to rest in the in the Washington City cemetery.