Remembering Mac McNeil

Cannot complain about the weather except to say it was too hot for June. The snow is mostly gone from the mountains, the river is not clear but it is green and dropping every day. It should have been a perfect week. Instead, it was a somber week-mourning mixed with new grief.

A magnificent memorial was held at the McNeil home in memory of E. B. "Mac" McNeil who died last Feb. 8 at the age of 93. He and his wife Cecily are long time North Forkers, and their sons Alan and Bruce spent many happy summers here.

Mac was an amazing intellect and scholar who was always involved in the North Fork. He was a retired physics professor with tremendous interests in many areas. In addition to being a scientist, he was an accomplished musician, and a skilled woodworker. He taught at the University of Chicago for over 40 years, played cello for more than that, built the family cabin on the North Fork without power tools and his interest in architecture played a part in the design of his retirement home near Kalispell.

All of these talents were important to Mac and were certainly a major part of his life. More important was his role in raising his boys and then the terrific role he played as a mentor, teacher, friend to his grandchildren and others. A beautiful life with his wife Cecily that lasted from their wedding in 1948 to the present.

At the memorial there was a blend of family, North Forkers and friends from the valley complete with testimonials and a beautiful poem by his caregiver Suz Thorp. Altogether a fitting tribute. As I drove home I realized that in my memory of the McNeils, spanning something over thirty years, I never heard Mac or Cecily say a negative word about anyone, even folks they did not agree with. Too bad that can't be said about most humans.

On an even more somber note, two North Forkers were tragically killed in accidents this week. I really don't know the details so I won't try to say too much about what actually happened or the names of the victims.

The first was an employee of the Polebridge Mercantile recently arrived for his third season working on the North Fork. He and some friends were down by the bridge swimming and playing with paddle boards. Somehow the victim fell in the water, got his legs caught in a rope attached to the paddle board and was swept downstream. His friends got him out pretty quickly but he was gone.

The other death involved a traffic accident on the overpass just north of Columbia Falls. Two vehicles hit almost head on with the North Fork landowner killed in the crash and only minor injuries to the other driver. I do not know if there were passengers in either vehicle.

At any rate, a tough week for those three families. They are in our thoughts and prayers.

Enjoy the summer but, please, please, be careful out there.