Shelbyville, Indiana — March 24, 2005
An obituary honoring a community leader whose gratitude for life became a mission of service.
A 33-year resident of Shelbyville, Indiana, Roland M. “Mac” McClanahan passed away Thursday, March 24, 2005, at his home.
Born December 8, 1925, in Rosholt, Wisconsin, he was a graduate of Rosholt High School, Class of 1944. He attended Luther College in Iowa, where he met his wife, Ruth L. Strand. The couple married in 1947. Following their marriage, Mac graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree and was a member of Alpha Delta Sigma, the National Advertising Fraternity.
A United States Navy veteran, Mac proudly served during both World War II and the Korean War aboard a Navy war vessel. From that time, he often told one of his favorite stories—about the spider monkey kept aboard ship and later left at what remains today the Monkey Bar in Honolulu, Hawaii, when the crew returned stateside.
Mac owned McClanahan Sales, a manufacturing equipment representative firm specializing in automotive rebuilding equipment. He traveled extensively throughout the Midwest, always guided by his belief that “the customer is always right.” In the mid-1960s, he and Ruth also owned Mary Carter Paint franchises in Indianapolis.
Over more than six decades, Mac was active in numerous organizations, including the Automotive Booster Club of America, Murat Shrine, Scottish Rite, Masonic Lodge, Eagles Club of Shelbyville, the 500 Club associated with the Indianapolis 500, the Chanters, Shelbyville Lions Club, American Legion Post 70, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Elks Club.
He was named a Kentucky Colonel in 1967 by Governor Edward T. Breathitt, a Distinguished Hoosier in 2000 by Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon, a 1997 Leadership Award recipient recognized by former Vice President Dan Quayle, and Community Service Leader by the Rotary Club of Shelbyville in 2001.
Despite these honors, Mac considered his proudest achievement to be the statewide fundraising campaign he launched in 1999 after surviving his third massive heart attack. The campaign raised critical funds to equip sheriff’s vehicles with portable defibrillators—devices that had saved his own life multiple times.
Beginning in Shelby County, Mac raised $15,000 in less than a year to equip local sheriff’s units. He later expanded his efforts across Indiana, helping numerous counties secure the same life-saving equipment. “I was impressed that someone would take the time to help us out,” said Shelby County Sheriff Thomas K. DeBaun.
Michael S. Dellinger, Vice President of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, observed, “What sets Mac McClanahan apart is his sincerity, his first-hand knowledge of the benefits of defibrillators, and his ability to set and reach goals. He exemplifies what ‘giving’ is all about.”
Mac loved to entertain in his home, tell a good joke, travel, stay connected with friends, and serve as the life of the party. He laughed easily, loved deeply, and lived fully.
Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Ruth L. Strand McClanahan; children Kathleen McClanahan-Gruhl (Thomas Gruhl) of Zionsville, Indiana, and Sanibel Island, Florida; Pamela McClanahan-Elcik (Dr. John P. Elcik IV) of Wellington, Florida; and David Michael McClanahan (Nancy I. McClanahan) of Shelbyville; grandchildren John Paul (J.P.) Elcik V and Michelle Kathleen Elcik of Wellington, Florida; and sister-in-law Karen Strand Lawler of Indianapolis.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the McClanahan Family Fund, in care of the Community Foundation of Shelby County, P.O. Box 808, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Proceeds support the D.A.R.E. campaign administered through Shelby County law enforcement agencies.
Roland “Mac” McClanahan’s life reminds us that gratitude, when paired with action, can become a legacy that saves lives.