John "Mac" C. McNeely Jr.

John Carlton “Mac” McNeely Jr. was born on April 25, 1948 in Charleston, West Virginia, and died on August 26, 2025 at the age of 77 from pancreatic cancer in Columbus, Ohio. Mac graduated from Finneytown High School northwest of Cincinnati in 1966 and attended Morehead State University and The Ohio State University.

Mac, who always had encouraging words and a belief that everyone has a story, touched the lives of many colleagues and readers throughout his 32-year career at The Columbus Dispatch. He began as a copy boy in 1968 and then advanced from beat reporter to assistant sports editor and Accent editor. He wrote two columns: “Let’s Argue” in the Sports section and “Just A Thought” in the Accent section. Even after his retirement and the first of several strokes, Mac still had the uncanny ability to connect with just about everyone he met with his brilliant smile and engaging laughter.

Mac enjoyed all sports and athletes, including his all-time favorite, the NBA’s Jerry West, but his most cherished sport was baseball. His best-loved player was Mickey Mantle, his preferred teams were the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds, and he was fortunate himself to have pitched a no-hitter with his high school summer league team. In addition to sports, Mac treasured listening to old country music, sitting by campfires at his Pennsylvania cabin, playing cards, traveling or going on “capers”, and hiking, especially when he walked the Appalachian Trail and chronicled it in The Columbus Dispatch in 1999.

Mac was preceded in death by his parents, John Carlton McNeely and Belma Dunbar McNeely; his ex-wife Shirley Farrell McNeely (married seven years); and his second wife Connie Andrick McNeely (married 17 years). He is survived by his third wife, of 24 years, Terri S Leist, who loved and cared for him with her whole heart; his three stepchildren Jeffrey (Marybeth) Drum, Deborah Drum (Bill Miller), and Jason (Melissa) Drum; six grandchildren, Cooper and Campbell Drum, Ruby and Graydon Miller, and Nolan and Weston Drum; his three sisters, Jean (Joe) Horvath, Viva McNeely, and Mary McNeely; two goddaughters, Abby Mellott and Mackenzie Hoog; and numerous loving in-laws, nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Wyman Woods Park shelter house, 1520 Goodale Blvd., Grandview Heights, Ohio, with a remembrance service beginning at 3 p.m. and refreshments immediately following.

Contributions can be made in Mac’s name to the Tom Fennessy/Mike Harden Back-to-School Project (TF/MH BTSP) at www.tomfennessy.org or send to P.O. Box 12234, Columbus, Ohio, 43212; or to Hospice of Central Ohio at www.OhiosHospice.org/Give or send to 2269 Cherry Valley Rd., SE, Newark, Ohio, 43055.