John Neal McNamara

John N. McNamara (Johnny Mac) passed away peacefully in the arms of his loving wife, Pamela Smith, on December 22, 2024, in the comfort of his home after a battle with CMML (Leukemia). He is survived in death by his loving wife, Pamela Smith; stepson, Daniel (Lori) Mock; grandchildren Jordan, Destiny, and David (Janna); great-granddaughter Penelope; sister-in-Law Patty (Paul) Youngblood; nieces Michele (Mitchell) Griffin, Angela McNamara and nephews Oakley (Heather), and Robert (Caroline), great niece and nephews Georgia, Bailey, Everett, Charlie; brother James McNamara and uncle Arthur (Jennette) Masso and many cousins. 

John, the son of Angeline (Ann) Masso and James Lovett McNamara, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on December 23, 1944. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Janet Yurccyk McNamara, on July 8, 1983, and his parents.

He was known for his love of music and consistent whistling, singing, guitar, and harmonica playing. His sarcastic sense of humor and wry smile shined through with his music and interactions with friends and family. He had a strong love for animals, which was seen with his multitude of dogs and cats over the years, and he will be missed by his baby Jesse, the cat.

He was an active member of the Rotary Club of North Spartanburg. He was an avid tennis player and enjoyed the game with the many friends he made on and off the court. “First serve on earth, second serve in heaven, until we see you there, our friend.”

He served in the US Navy from 1962 to 1966 and was a gold crew plank owner on the USS Ulysses S. Grant submarine. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor with a regular patrol to Guam. John went to the University of New Haven and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1969.

John founded companies; Action Roofing, Inc. (1984), AAA Environmental (1987) and JMAC Environmental(2013). He was well known for his work ethic and constant interest in educating and performing indoor air quality investigations.

Many will miss him; in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Rotary Club of North Spartanburg (PO Box 3423 Spartanburg SC 29304) or StandUpToCancer.org. in memory of John McNamara.

A visitation will be held on January 4, 2025, from 1:00 to 1:45 PM, at the J.M. Dunbar Funeral Home, with a celebration of life to follow at 2 PM in the chapel conducted by Rev. Shannon Borchert, 690 Southport Rd. Roebuck, SC 29376.