Mr. Rev. Theodore Melvin 'Mac' McClelland

Jesus came on Sunday August 21, 2011 to take Rev. Theodore Melvin ""Mr. Mac"" McClelland to his eternal home in Heaven. He was born September 8, 1918 in Portsmouth, VA to Mamie Lee Judkins and Theodore Melvin McClelland Sr. He was retired from Southside Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC where he served for 23 years and was a member for nearly 50 years. He served in the United States Army during WWII as a First Sergeant of the 25th Division in the Asian Pacific Theater. Mr. Mac was a graduate of Newport News High School, Newport News, VA where he lettered in football (he still holds recored), basketball, baseball and track and was offered a full scholarship in football to Duke College. He received recognition for the Hall of Fame of the Lower Peninsula for Outstanding Athletic Achievement and his name is in the Hall of Fame in ht e Hampton, VA Coliseum. He graduated from Mars Hill College where he played baseball, Wake Forest College (BS), Southeastern Theological Seminary at Wake Forest, NC (Master of Divinity). He served as Minister of Music and Education at Taberncale Baptist Church Raleigh, NC, First Baptist Church Wendell, NC, and Marion Baptist Church Marion, VA. Singing was a very intriguing part of his life beginning with church choirs in his teens. He also sang with an amateur opera group called the Miestersingers and sang at Madison Square Garden and Town Hall in New York City. In his early twenties, he and three church friends Glenroy, Champ, and Bob formed a quartet. Though after the war they did not live close together, they would still get together and sing into their eighties. His first wife Mescal Beck McClelland accompanied them on piano. He also has recordings of singing with the quartet and in the choir at Griffith Baptist Church; also with Gloria, Lois, Janice, Ruth Anne, Dot, and his great-granddaughter Shayna. He appreciated his neighbor Wayne looking out for him. He always enjoyed joking with family and friends and especially his nephew Gary Hale who he called \"Jerry\""" and Gary called Melvin \"""Marvin\"""; and joking with his choir friend Scott Freeze. He enjoyed hot dogs with with Vernon and Ted and Dru. He liked being able to count on grandson Donnie if he needed anything; getting phone calls from Wally and Velma. He liked visits from his favorite granddaughter Vicki and her son Colton. He remembered the neighbor who called to report that Robert was racing his granddaddy\'s lawnmower down Fairview Blvd. (a lawnmower that only went 1/2 mile an hour) He loved Brandi from the day she was born even though they would joke and try not to tell each other. David