William Mccormick

William “Col. Mac” McCormick, 71, of Williamstown, W.Va. passed away Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at the Camden Clark Medical Center, Memorial Campus.He was born January 12, 1941 in Lewis County, Kentucky, a son of the late Herbert and Doris Elizabeth Parker McCormick. He had received a M.A. in Safety Education from the West Virginia University in Morgantown; a B.A. in Leadership Management from the University of Charleston; and a B.A. in Business Administration from Glenville State.Col. Mac enlisted (volunteered) in the U.S. Army in 1959 as a PFC and retired from the WV Army National Guard in 1994 attaining the rank of Colonel. His legacy of dedication and service to our State and Country continues to shape WV Army National Guard Aviation. Highlights include: 34 years of Military service, 25 years as the State Aviation Commander, 25 years of OSHA Safety Program Manager, 25 years as a rotary and fixed wing pilot and instructor, and 11 years as Special Forces A-Team Commander. He also served 16 years as the Counter Drug Detachment Commander, trained Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, Helicopter Pilot Instructor, Military and Commercial Airplane Pilot Instructor. He served the 82nd Airborne as a Master Parachutist, earned the Special Forces tab and retired as State Safety Officer with the West Virginia Army National Guard.Col Mac was also known to design, build and personalize bird houses, repair and restore pinball and dart machines, and truly enjoyed rebuilding and restoring various automobiles and trucks. He was a member of the Williamstown Masonic Lodge and attended the Williamstown Presbyterian Church.He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Inez Deemer McCormick; a son, Patrick of Williamstown, W.Va.; a daughter, Gayle of Williamstown, W.Va.; one brother, Jack McCormick and wife, Betty, of Coolville, Ohio; one sister, Patty Downing of Minford, Ohio; a brother-in-law, Roy Deemer and wife, Donna Sue, of Minford, Ohio; and grandchildren, Megan Abrahamson, 22, studying Psychology, Madison McCormick, 20, WVU pre-Dentistry, Marina McCormick, 18, WVU pre-Law, Mac McCormick, 16, Williamstown High School, golf, basketball, and Andrew McGuffey, 14, Williamstown High School, drummer extraordinaire; and son-in-law, Andy McGuffey.In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Gene and George McCormick.Col. Mac's request was to be donated to the West Virginia University Human Gift Registry for medical research. A memorial gathering of family and friends will be from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, October 27, 2012 in Col. Mac's honor at the Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home, Vienna, W.Va.