Obituary - Richard “Mac” Leroy McNiel

Richard “Mac” Leroy McNiel, of Garden City, MO, passed away on June 20, 2015. Private services at Orient Cemetery in Harrisonville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, City Union Mission of Kansas City, or Ozark Food Harvest in Springfield, Missouri. 

Mac was born on June 11, 1928 in Jefferson County, Iowa to Harry Leroy McNeil and Bertha Mae (Curtis) McNiel. He spent 5-1/2 years in the Marines serving in Korea. He began a long career with Yellow Freight Systems as an over-the-road truck driver and at the end of his 40-years he was Manager of Relay Operations. 

Mac enjoyed fishing and traveling. After retirement, Mac and Linda spent ten years traveling with their Papillons throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico in their Dodge truck and fifth-wheel. Mac also spent part of his retirement years working at Family Center in Harrisonville, Missouri. 

Mac was very proud of his Scottish heritage, and in 2010 was able to travel to Scotland to attend the World-Wide Reunion of the McNiel Clan on the Isle of Barra where he spent time with his McNiel relatives and toured the historical Kisimul Castle. Mac’s story and his journey to the Isle of Barra was filmed as a part of a BBC series “An Island Parish”, which truly made it the trip of a lifetime. 

Survivors include his wife, Linda McNiel, of the home; two sons, Steven McNiel of Olathe, KS and Brian McNiel of Shawnee, Kansas; daughter, Donna Nichols of Arizona; three stepchildren, Dianne Phillips, Houston, TX, Terri Lunn and family of Lone Jack, MO, and Michael Phillips and family of Raymore, MO; 8 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren, and many other beloved family and friends.