Frederick Micheau Scovil McConnel MD

Dr. Frederick M. S. McConnel (Mac), age 79, of Atlanta, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, February 12, 2021, surrounded by his devoted family. He was born in Virginia in November 1941 to Fred Louis McConnel and Hildred Scovil McConnel. Fred is survived by his wife of 39 years, Marianne Roddenbery, son Huntley McConnel, daughter Mary Anne Ericson (Brian), and son Fred McConnel (Amber) all of Atlanta. Also surviving is his sister Lucinda McConnel Watson of Orinda, California. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren William, Max, and Isabel Ericson, and Avery McConnel, all of Atlanta, as well as Anne Collier, mother of Huntley and Mary Anne.

Mac grew up in Asheville, NC and attended UNC Chapel Hill as an undergraduate and a medical student. He completed his residency at Northwestern University where he and another doctor invented a voice prosthesis for patients who had lost their vocal cords through surgery. That was followed by several Fellowships, including in Padua, Italy, where he studied the complexities of swallowing. “Dr. Mac” served for 40 years as an ENT Head/Neck surgeon, practicing and teaching at Emory University, Gwinnett Medical Center, St Joseph’s Hospital, and the VA Medical Center.

Upon retirement, Mac pursued his hobbies and interests with the same amount of energy as his professional career. The passion for sailing he developed with his father led him into racing sailboats in Panama City’s St. Andrews Bay, Lake Lanier, and Key West. Then, during a winter with no sailing, he began the pursuit of model railroading, eventually filling his basement with trains, buildings, and scenery. He created a remarkable replica of the railroads of Western North Carolina, capturing his childhood journeys through the mountains to Old Fort, Saluda, and Asheville. Most recently, Mac enjoyed long summers in the mountains near Cashiers, NC. He also composed a memoir entitled My Life’s Path, recounting the memories and accomplishments that made him into the multifaceted man that he was.

In lieu of flowers and attendance at a memorial service during this time of COVID, please consider a donation to Dr. Mac’s church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 or to the Saluda Historic Depot and Museum, PO Box 990, Saluda, NC 28773.