Wadsworth W. “Mac” McDaniel was born December 13, 1928, in Blackfork, Ohio to Gertrude and Lodon McDaniel. He married the former Mattie Richardson of Chillicothe who survives.
Also surviving are: his sister, Juanita George (Los Angeles, CA); nieces, Kim Locklear (Los Angeles, California) and Juanita (Bob) Weaver (Taylor, MI); son, Terry Richardson (Atlanta, GA); daughters, Sarah (Grady) Smith, (Columbus) and Linda (Keith) Knights (Chillicothe). Also surviving are grandchildren, Jonina (George) Plummer (Columbus), Stephen Ragland (Chillicothe) and Caleb Knights (Dayton). He was preceded in death by his father, mother, sister, and brother. He leaves a host of other relatives and friends.
From Army private to Navy lieutenant in one career, Lt. Wadsworth W. McDaniel has worn many hats. He has traveled from pole to pole, and circled the Earth’s girth. “Mac” had visited many of the coldest and hottest spots in the world aboard nuclear submarines and icebreakers. Mac first joined the Army in 1964 and served as an Armed Forces policeman in Yokohama, Japan. This was to prove to be only the first of a long line of “hats” that he would wear.
After engineman and submarine school Seaman McDaniel served aboard the submarines Pomfret, 1950 to 1958. In 1958 he requested nuclear power school for more technical training. Finishing school, he was assigned to the nuclear submarine Skate, where he put on another hat, that of a petty officer. Mac participated in the historic underwater rendezvous of the nuclear submarines Skate and Seadragon at the North Pole in July,1962. When the voyage was over, it was time for Mac to don another hat, this time that of naval officer.
Upon completion of OCS in 1962, Mac was assigned to the icebreaker Edisto, operating near the South Pole. As the assistant engineering officer, Mac traveled from the South Pole to the North Pole to open passages for supply ships making their way to Distant Early Warning (DEW) line outposts. In 1965 he transferred from the Ediste to Hawaii as assistant officer-in-charge of the moth-balled service fleet at Pearl Harbor. Early in this assignment, Mac volunteered for Vietnam duty and was accepted. Ordered to Vietnam as the maintenance and repair officer in the Military Sea Transport Service office in Saigon, Mac traveled up and down the coast of Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 making sure that ships were repaired as necessary. At the completion of this Vietnam tour Mac was assigned to the main Navy recruiting office and donned his last hat. He will be missed by family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 11 a.m. at Zion Baptist Church, 84 S. Clinton Rd., Chillicothe, Ohio with Rev. J. Troy Gray officiating. Military graveside services will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Union Baptist Church Cemetery, Blackfork, Ohio. Arrangements are under the direction of the Lewis & Gillum Funeral Home of Oak Hill. Online condolences may be sent to: www.lewisgillumfuneralhomes.com