In 1960 Mack’s family moved to New York City, first residing in the Bronx and later South Ozone Park in Queens NY.
Mack attended and graduated from John Adams High School where he played varsity football and ran track and field. While at John Adams High School, Mack met Gwendolyn O’Neale whom he later married. From that union Mack became the father to four beautiful children: Mack Short III, Keisha Crystal Short, Melanie Maxine Short and James Short.
After graduating from John Adams, Mack pursued a degree in Business Administration at Brooklyn college and played football for the BC Kingsmen. While pursuing his degree Mack received a call from New York City Department of Correction where he began an illustrious and successful career.
Mack Short Jr. began working as a Corrections Officer in August of 1981 at the Department of Correction at Rikers Island in Queens, NY. Mack’s first assignment was at the GMDC “C73” and AMKC “C95” facilities from 1981 to 1989. An ambitious and driven young man, Mack soon rose to the rank of Captain in 1989. From there, Captain Mack Short Jr. was stationed at the OBCC/CPSU where he also served as the Union Representative for Correction Captains Association “CCA”.
In May of 1996, Captain Mack Short Jr. was promoted to the rank of Assistant Deputy Warden (ADW) Mack Short Jr. As ADW, Mack oversaw the operation and day to day function of the ARDC/”C74” Jail.
on March 12th, 1999 ADW Short achieved the rank of Deputy Warden. He presided over the JATC/EMTC “C76”, GMDC/’C73” and OBCC/CPSU facilities. He supervised over 700 Corrections Officers and facilitated the care and wellbeing of over 14,000 inmates of whom all have a deep respect and admiration for Deputy Warden Mack Short Jr. After a long and quite successful career, Mack retired on April 22, 2002.
During Mack’s career with the Department of Correction he received numerous awards and accolades of which include:
1989 Instructor Development Certificate of Achievement
1992 Exceptional Merit Medal
1992 Outstanding Firearm Qualification Achievement
1994 NY DOC Environmental Health Officer Certificate of Achievement
1996 Law and Criminal Investigation Certificate of Achievement
1999 Service Award.
In March of 1999 while working as a Deputy Warden over the JATC/EMTC “C76”, Mack met his best friend, Nell Frances Flowers. For 21 years Mack and Nell have enhanced each other’s life. They have cried and laughed, fought and loved. In Nell, Mack met his match, lifelong partner and the only true love of his life.
Mack had a deep love and devotion to his Job, Nell and his children; but Mack also had an insatiable passion for baseball, football, hunting, fishing and life. Mutual loves he inherited from his father.
As an avid baseball and football fan, Mack rooted for his favorite teams, the NY Mets and NY Jets. He hunted wild boar and deer and fished for everything.
Mack absolutely loved to fish! So much so, that in 1991 he obtained his Auxiliary Boating Skill and Seamanship Certificate from the U.S. Coast guard. Mack was an outstanding fisherman. He fished the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, lakes across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, with his brothers, lifelong friends and fellow Corrections Officers.
I pray that I may live to fish…
Until my dying day.
And when it comes to
may last cast,
I Then most humbly pray:
When in the lord’s
great landing net
And Peacefully asleep
That in His mercy I be judged
Big enough to keep.
Mack’s cast was long and broad. On February 21, 2020 God called from above and brought Mack Short Jr. home. Mack has left us with so many fond memories for us. He leaves behind to cherish memories of him, his life partner Nell France Flowers; his children Mack (Kathy Cruz) Short III, Keisha Crystal Short, Malanie Maxine Short and James Short; his sister Monica Denise Short; grandchildren Mack Tristan Short and Alina Short. Cousins Herbert (Nellie) Thomas, Jr, Terrylceda Thomas (Herbert) Dunbar, Gaynell Thomas, Herbert J. Thomas, Wilbert DeVille, John Short, Joe Short, Jon Marie Short, Kenneth Short, Quentin Brown and Russell Goldsen. Extended Family Evander Flowers, Sharon Flowers, Patricia Diane Flowers, Adrian Flowers, Desiree Flowers, Lakema McCoy, Michael McCoy.
Partners in crime and brothers in law-enforcement; men who served in the trenches and lifelong friends, Norman Clark, Jerome Shipman, Curtis Lewis, Henry Hunter, Danny Thompson and a host of relatives, friends and colleagues.
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