Tillman Lafayette "Mac" McDaniel, age 87, of Dixon, was born April 2, 1936, at Winter Park, Florida, a son of Joseph Lafayette and Martha (Hutcheson) McDaniel, and passed from this life Sunday, September 3, 2023, in the Missouri Veteran's Home, St. James.

On July 1, 1954 he entered active federal service in the United States Navy and served until January  15, 1974, when he was honorably discharged after twenty years of service, at the rank of Chief Petty Officer.  He served another 10 years in the Fleet Reserve.  A man of excellent character, "Mac's" "Honorable Discharge" is a testimony of selfless and faithful service to his country.  While in the Navy Mac served on 4 submarines and 2 shore duties.

His first shore duty was running the Movie Exchange in Key West, Florida, supplying movies to the destroyers and submarines stationed there, repairing the projectors as needed.  He was proud of his efforts in organizing the Movie Exchange into a more efficient resource for morale and welfare.  Mac's second shore duty led to his love of teaching. He taught basic electricity and remedial math in Great Lakes Illinois earning commendations for his abilities in simplifying technical concepts in ways that everyone could understand.

Mac served on two diesel submarines or boats.  In the 1950's Mac was on the USS Balao SS-285 out of Key West.  While on board this boat, the Balao made a tour of South America, where Mac learned rudimentary Spanish.  He liked to tell how he was transferred off the Balao 2 weeks before filming of the 1959 movie Operation Petticoat began.  His second boat was USS Argonaut SS 475 out of Norfolk, Virginia.  The Argonaut was one of the naval quarantine support during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.  Mac was proud that the Argonaut's whole crew put to sea even though they were not sure of a positive outcome of the Crisis which had the possibility of putting their families in more danger than they themselves were.

Mac served on two nuclear boats.  In the mid-1960s Mac was on the USS George Washington SSBN 598, out of Holy Loch, Scotland.  The George Washington was one of the first of the fleet ballistic missile submarines designed to provide deterrence in the Cold War by carrying 24 ballistic missiles.  Two crews, blue and gold, kept submarines like the George Washington at sea nearly continuously.  Mac was in the gold crew.

His last submarine was the USS Lapon SSN 661out of Norfolk, Virginia.  The Lapon was a fast attack submarine on regular deployment in the Mediterranean when the Yom Kippur War occurred in October 1973.  The Lapon trailed several Soviet subs trailing US Navy vessels.

Submarine sailors rarely have many ribbons as they are the silent service.  Mac had the Good Conduct medal, two National Defense medals, for Korea and Viet Nam and possibly a Unit Commendation for the most number of Soviet subs trailed in October 1973.

Mac was united in marriage on  October 2, 1972, at Norfolk, Virginia, to the former Miss Janelle Amelia Schlosser.

Mac was an outgoing, kind person always happy to meet his next friend.  His idea of a good time was being with family or visiting with neighbors on his deck.  He also liked camping, hunting, wood carving and rope working – splicing and knotting.  Mac worked many years at the Lake of the Ozarks as a boat mechanic and later in boating retail, where he was known as the "rope man".

Those left to mourn the passing of Mac include:  His wife, Jan of the home near Dixon; daughters, Treva Squires of Frontenac, Kansas; Renita Neibuhr of Fruitland, Idaho; sisters, Ruth Yvonne Nott of Ocala, Florida and Loretha Gammenthaler, of Tangerine, Florida; sisters in law, Kim Tennant, Missouri, Andrea Jacobowitz, Pennsylvania, and Ellen Simmons, Illinois; niece Samantha Luttrell Donal, Texas; grandchildren: Scott, Larissa and Shay, in Kansas,  Travis and Nick in Missouri, and Meghan in Idaho; grandnephew Louis Luttrell, Missouri; 19 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and many friends.

He was preceded in death by two sons, infant Robert Lee McDaniel, at the age of seventeen days, in November of 1964; and Chuck Gordon McDaniel on October 27, 2020; father, Joseph; mother, Martha; brothers Thomas and Joseph; sisters Jean Frazier and Lorraine Chandler.

A Final Salute was given to Chief Petty Officer McDaniel on September 3, 2023, by the Missouri Veterans Home, St. James.  The family sends a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful Staff at the Veterans Home.  No other memorial services are planned.  Those wishing for a memorial are encouraged to contact Renita and Samantha.

The human body is a valuable, irreplaceable resource in the training of physicians, and Mr. Tillman McDaniel has generously given his earthly body for medical education.  Arrangements are by the Birmingham-Martin Home in Vienna with correspondence to the family in memory of Mr. Tillman "Mac" McDaniel in care of Birmingham-Martin Funeral Home P.O. Box 250, Vienna, Missouri 65582