2023ObituariesMilton “Mac” Winfield McCord

Milton “Mac” Winfield McCord, 75, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, retired sales executive and entrepreneur, died Sunday, October 15, 2023, in Baton Rouge. He leaves Kathleen Herzog, his beloved.  There will be a memorial service, at a later date in Baton Rouge.

Three years ago, Mac and Kathleen came home again to his birthplace, Baton Rouge. Mac was born March 18, 1948, to Milton William “Bill” McCord and Cullee Rodriguez McCord. Throughout his life, Mac lived in Baton Rouge, Natchez, Mississippi, and Murfreesboro, Tennessee. An only child, Mac was raised by his mother, as his father died one month before Mac was born.

Mac was interested in everybody, from small children to older adults. He always found something to say to make another person feel comfortable and welcome. A graduate of Louisiana State University in mechanical engineering, Mac worked for a time in that field but quickly moved into oilfield sales, an industry in which he excelled throughout his working career. Mac also had an entrepreneurial bent, and invested in several businesses along his professional journey. In his sales career, Mac traveled extensively in the U.S. and in Europe, living for three years in Scotland.

Mac was a lifelong member of the Karnac Hunting Club near Vicksburg, Mississippi; the hunting club was one of Mac’s favorite pastimes. For years, he traveled there every Thanksgiving and January, staying for two weeks on each visit. He also owned horses throughout his lifetime; his last horse, Levi, lived on a farm in Mississippi.

During his 22 years in Murfreesboro, Mac was an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, serving as an usher and greeter, and the originator of a new Mardi Gras fundraiser to benefit the St. Paul’s youth group.  Mac worked on the fundraiser for ten years, personally cooking the New Orleans-inspired jambalaya in big pots on his driveway every year.

Mac’s joys were cooking, hosting and taking care of people. His most common response to a new idea or initiative was “no problem.” For years, he played Santa Claus, traveling around Baton Rouge as a young adult in an authentic costume listening to heartfelt wish lists.

In addition to horses, Mac loved cats, and most recently, he and Kathleen had two cats, Sam and Sister, who are 13 years old.

Although Mac has no children or grandchildren himself, many young people he met long the way considered him “Uncle Mac”. Those particularly close to Mac’s heart are his “kids,” including Lindsey (John) Lacey and their children MaeMae, Annie and Topper of Birmingham, AL, Nan (Melody) Strait and their children Willett and Lyle of Playa Del Rey, CA, and Ryn (John) Jones and their children Anna Kathryn, Benton, Preston and Carter, and Tracy Rutledge (Elizabeth) and their children, Grace, Ivy and James, all of Baton Rouge.

Special thanks to Barbara Pullette, Mac’s friend and caregiver for the last two years and his friend Dedrick Welch, Program Coordinator of Charlie’s Place, for their care and concern.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Alban’s Episcopal Chapel on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. Please share your condolences at www.sealefuneral.com.