Albert Charles McNamara Jr.

The Lord called home his servant, Albert Charles “Mac” McNamara, Jr., early in the morning of his birthday, July 11, 2025, at the age of 87. Mac’s first great-grandchild, Townes Thomas Maloy, was born just a few hours later, that same day.

Most people called him “Mac.” Mac grew up in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and he never lost his Bogalusa accent. This belied his amazing intellect, his knack for problem-solving, and his taste for the fine arts.

Mac excelled at an early age and was an Eagle Scout and a National Merit Scholar. His time at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico made such an impression on him that he talked about it his entire life. Mac went on to attend Rice University in Houston, earning both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degrees.

While enrolled at Rice, Mac fell for a native Houstonian, Sandra Mandell. The two were soon married and on their way to having their first child, daughter Audrey Claire McNamara.

Mac began his engineering career at Wide-Lite Corporation, a lighting and electronic controls manufacturer which was then headquartered in Houston. They soon added their first son, Albert Charles McNamara, III, to the family, and several years later their second son, Andrew Christopher McNamara.

Wide-Lite relocated its headquarters to San Marcos, Texas, taking Mac and Sandy to San Marcos along with it. Mac worked for Wide-Lite for 24 years and rose to the position of Executive Vice President. Along the way, Mac earned a Master of Business Administration degree through the University of Texas’s Executive MBA program, graduating at the top of his class and earning the George Kozmetsky Award.

A job change took Mac and Sandy to Deephaven, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb, where Mac and Sandy spent six years making new friends while Mac worked as VP of Manufacturing and VP of Engineering and Product Development for Sterner Lighting Systems.

Mac and Sandy found their way back to Texas and settled in San Antonio, where Audrey and her family lived. Mac then changed his engineering focus to restaurant equipment as Director of Engineering and Manufacturing of Ultrafryer Systems, a San Antonio-based manufacturer of commercial fryers.

Throughout his career, Mac earned many patents, first for electronic controls, reflectors, and other lighting components, then for fryer components.

Mac loved to travel. As a young couple, he and Sandy drove each summer with their children to wherever the Illuminating Engineering Society (of which Mac was a Fellow) was having its annual meeting, camping along the way. After their children were grown, Mac and Sandy traveled in better style, visiting such places as Ireland (ancestral home of the McNamara clan), England, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. When their grandchildren were old enough, Mac and Sandy took them along on trips to Europe.

Opera was an obsession for Mac, especially the works of Richard Wagner. He attended operatic performances all over the world, including at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and at Opera Houses in Bayreuth and Nuremberg, Germany. On any Sunday, he could be found sitting in his recliner and watching (at high volume) whatever opera was airing on PBS, or wearing headphones while listening to one of the many operas that he had recorded. You had to be careful about mentioning opera to Mac, as he was prone to break into an aria without warning, even in public places. Mac’s love for opera also fueled a love for the languages of opera, especially German.

Mac was a lifelong, devout Lutheran. He and Sandy were faithful members of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in San Antonio, where Mac served as an Elder and was a member of the choir. Mac’s family is grateful to the Rev. Craig Meissler for his friendship and ministry, especially in Mac’s final days, and to the choir of Mt. Calvary, which visited Mac in his home and sang hymns to him while he was in hospice.

Mac and Sandy were married for 63 years until Sandy passed on Christmas Day, December 25, 2020. Mac had retired from Ultrafryer Systems to care for her, and his loving care allowed Sandy to pass peacefully at home. Mac’s daughter, Audrey, gave Mac the same loving care, which allowed Mac to pass peacefully at home, as well.

Mac is preceded in death by his parents, Albert, Sr. and Beatrice McNamara, by his wife Sandy, and by his son Albert, III, who passed in 2013 after a long, brave battle with leukemia. We can rejoice in knowing that they are all reunited in glory.

Mac is survived by daughter Audrey McNamara Curl (Paul) of San Antonio; by grandchildren Matthew “Mac” Curl and Anna Curl Maloy (Trevor), and Anna and Trevor’s newborn son, Townes Thomas Maloy, of San Antonio; by Albert, III’s wife, daughter-in-law Jean McNamara, and grandchildren Paige McNamara and John “Jack” McNamara, of Houston; and by son Andrew McNamara (Amy), of Los Angeles, California.

Services will be held on July 21, 2025 at 10 a.m., at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 308 Mt. Calvary, San Antonio, Texas 78209. A reception will follow. Interment will follow at San Jose Burial Park. Donations can be made to Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church.