He was born on Nov. 2, 1922 in Tacoma, Wash., to William and Amanda Panter McClannahan. Mac was raised and attended school in Tacoma. He joined the United States Army and served in the South Pacific until his honorable discharge. Mac was united in marriage to Velma Jean “VJ” Bowman on June 28, 1945 in Merrill. They moved to Burbank, Wash., in 1950 where they homesteaded and farmed in the Tri-City Basin. They later moved to Umatilla. Mac and Ray Dunn founded Oregon Potato and used turbines to pump water from the Columbia River to the bluffs over Umatilla. That enabled them to turn dry desert land into fertile farm land for their potato crop. They sold Oregon Potato and purchased Selectric Inc. in Umatilla and then built and operated Dehydration Specialists Inc., an onion dehydration facility at the Port of Umatilla. Mac and VJ built Hermiston Tri Cinema which she operated for many years. Mac enjoyed working and occasionally playing golf. Mac was Grand Marshall of Landing Days and Umatilla Business Man of the Year.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, VJ McClannahan, Umatilla; daughter, Katherine McClannahan, Boise, Idaho; son, Mitchell McClannahan, Kalama, Wash.; sister, Lorraine Plankers, Calif.; grandchildren, Seth Barrett, Benjamin Barrett, Mitchell McClannahan, Kimberly McClannahan, and Patrick McClannahan.
Mac was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Elwood Hopper; and a sister, Phyllis Marr; a grandson, William “Billy” McClannahan.
A celebration of life gathering with military honors will be held on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 at 2 p.m. with sharing to continue until 4 p.m. at Oxford Suites, 1050 N. First St. (Hwy 395), Hermiston.
Those who wish may make contributions in Mac’s memory to a charity of your choice.
Please sign the online guest book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
