Texas Memorial
Service
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Texas Memorial Service
A memorial service in Austin, TX on October 17, 2005 was a gathering of Mack's coworkers, other friends, his mother and aunt, coming together, knitting with love, but in vain, to try to close the huge gap caused by his absence. It was one warm, gigantic hug around his memory, sprinkled with tears but spangled with fond chuckles at remembered endearing traits.
The eulogy at that service was delivered by Mack's long-time close friend, Don Videtich.
My name is Don Videtich and I am honored to say I am a friend of Mack Kamna.
I would like to first say from his family and those of us that have known Mack, what led to his passing was not the Mack we know, there was a change brought about by the medication, chemo and radiation treatments. He always had struggles throughout his life, but the treatments brought about a change and some kind of chemical imbalance.The Mack we know would never cause this pain - You must know this.
Distance and time do not affect a real friendship. Whether I saw Mack once a year or once a week, it didn't matter. He was always there for me.
Friendship is all about loyalty, love and understanding. He gave me all those things and much more.
His family will miss Mack in a way I cannot; but it will be a consolation to them to know that there are so many people who loved him too.
A little history of Mack -
Mack was born in Portland, Oregon on March 9, 1966.
Mack spent the majority of his youth growing up on a farm in Cornelius, Oregon - (125 acres of walnuts, cherries, wheat and oats). Mack was active in 4-H and raising hogs. He once won Grand Champion. As a child Mack exhibited his mechanical skills at a very young age. His Mom told me that she and his Father had to be careful what toys they bought him because, if they came apart he would dismantle them. As he grew up, they had to be careful not to leave cameras, clocks, etc., unprotected and alone in the room with him--you'd find a mess of parts which he wasn't yet able to reassemble.
The "putting-things-back-together" came later in his life.
While he was growing up to say Mack was a handful would be an understatement; he just couldn't sit still. When he was in the third grade, his teacher tied him into a chair, taped his mouth shut and sat him in front of the class as an example of what happened when a pupil didn't sit quietly. Mack was mildly amused and actually enjoyed the attention and the reprieve from schoolwork. The teacher was reprimanded, had a breakdown, and took a sabbatical. That grin of his was the undoing of a lot of people. In 6th grade he was reading at the 12th grade level.
Pushing things to the limit applied to his love of speeding. On the farm, he ran; in school he ran cross-country. When old enough to ride an ATV on the farm, he got carried away and accidently rode it, arching Evel-Knievel-style, off a drop off into the Tualatin River. His first motorcycle ride, also on the farm, he plowed into a fir tree and got a slight concussion. When mom took a short trip out of town, Mack got the farm pickup and in slick mud, managed to collide with all 8 fence posts along the lane, in a straight line! Mack graduated from Hillsboro High School in June of 1984.
In his first car, a Spitfire, he flew off an S-curve 3 different times, softly landing in a farmer's plowed field and using the farmer's phone each time to call for a tow. But he learned the maximum speed he could do in that corner and still stay on the road!
Then came the motorcycles that brought him such joy and good friends...and citations. Maybe the most unusual was when a Beaverton, OR policeman caught Mack skirting a traffic jam by motorcycling down the sidewalk. He always followed the rules when they worked, but if they didn't seem applicable or efficient, he found it hard to respect them.
A friend:
Every friend we have means something different in our lives. Mack meant a whole lot of different things in mine. He was the one who was always there when I needed help. He was the one who cheered my day when I felt low. Put simply Mack cared about me and my family and he showed it in a thousand different ways.
I first met Mack in November 1989 at Tramco in Everett, Washington - we were both hired as A & P contractors. I was recently out of the Navy and the core of my experience was engine work - Thank God for Mack - since the majority of the work we were tasked with was airframe repairs and systems work. The day I met him he noticed I was having a difficult time with a skin repair on a Southwest 737; he took the time to show me the best way to accomplish the job until we had both completed it.
A lot of mechanics that worked with Mack would tell you that what most impressed them about Mack was his willingness to stop and help out, especially the less experienced mechanics. His skills and knowledge of his profession and work ethic were not only valued by his employers, but also by his co-workers.
A more recent example: when getting radiation treatment, he learned from one
of the techs (who just happended to be tall and pretty) that she was starting
motorcycle riding. She asked his advice and he not only gave it, recommending
she take certain lessons, but gave her one of his helmets. He loved to pass on
his knowledge, liked to teach, really, but never wanted to be trapped in a
classroom. Typical of Mack to be giving to others even when he was in a tough
situation. He was generous.
After our first Tramco stint we went down to Horizon Air in Portland and our relationship grew more working together on projects on the F-28 aircraft.
The next year we were back at Tramco for a while and after that we went down to San Diego to work at General Dynamics as contractors building MD-11 fuselages. We had a great setup, living together in a pad a few blocks from the beach. I do remember one day at work I was building up a pressure bulkhead on a jig. There was a certain area where you had to hold the back side while you drilled out the pilot holes from the other side. Unfortunately for me, I happened to drill right through the tip of my finger on the other side.
Mack was working across from me on another project and he sensed I had a problem (probably the look on my face) and came over quickly. He calmly assessed the situation (at this point I wasn't screaming) and he said, "You're going to have to start the drill motor and pull it out." I did (then I screamed as the pain registered). He then said "I can't believe you did that--don't do that again" all the while walking me to medical.
While down in San Diego living and working together I really got to know Mack. He impacted my life most with how he lived his. Mack was a good person in the fullest sense of that word. There was no malice in him. He did his best to live according to his beliefs and I know there are many who benefited from his generosity and his kindliness. Mack was always one to lend a helping hand, to see a need.
He truly cared about other people, hated to see them uncomfortable or unhappy and couldn't stand to see others or be himself embarrassed. He had a kind heart, an exceptional mind and, Lord knows, a busy mouth! ;-)
Mack's motto could have been: Try not to hurt others.
When his close friend, Mike Hagler, called for the results of the second biopsy,
when cancer was found, Mack didn't tell him because Mike and Gina were
headed off for a vacation. He said there was no reason he should share the
diagnosis then and put a damper on their good time--he'd tell them when they
got back.
Besides being kind and fair-minded, other things stood out about his personality: how he pushed to the limit and how he HAD to know how something worked.
I will miss him as a fount of general knowledge. If I ever needed to know anything there was always a good chance that Mack would know the answer. If he didn't, he'd make sure he found the answer for you. I will miss him most of all as a friend because good friends like Mack don't happen often in a lifetime.
I had put in with American while we were in San Diego and was hired as a mechanic in SFO. Mack stayed and continued working the contract and through the mid-nineties other contracts. He always kept in touch. One day Mack grew tired of contracting and in 1997 he called and asked my opinion whether he should put in with American Airlines. I told him yes, he was hired in LAX in 1997, then went to Austin in 1998, transferred to Seattle in Feb of 2000. He was laid off and went to AFW in 2001 and back to Austin in Feb 2002 where he remained. During this much-traveled time with AA, he established treasured friendships along the way.
Although we weren't together that often after San Diego, Mack always did keep in touch with us - he loved my wife and kids and was always concerned how we were doing. Even while he was ill, when he would call, the first thing he would say with his scratchy voice was "how's Barb and the kids?" That's Mack in a nutshell.
He always encouraged me to stay in my role as a Union Representative. He would say "you need to keep leading - we need you." He was always reassuring and supportive. He was always interested in my achievements. Mack always made me feel special.
Mack was also always good for a laugh and what is friendship without a laugh.
A friend of Mack's (Marv) from Portland reminded me of one of Mack's finer
qualities: his humor. He said "he could point out his own faults or yours and
help one to better understand these faults through a joking and humorous
manner". Marv shared with me a story - when he and his wife went out to
dinner with Mack. Somewhere during their conversation at the dinner table he
and his wife were in a disagreement on the current topic. He was sure this must
have been a little uncomfortable for Mack. Mack tactfully resolved the
argument with the comment, "So it is true". Marv and his wife, puzzled, looked
at one another then turned and looked at Mack and said, "Is what true"? He
sat there with a big smile on his face and said, "so opposites do attract."
That was just his way of saying okay that is enough, you two.
I'll miss him but my life will always be better for having known him. Certainly I will always have the odd smile when I think of things we did together. Mack won't be with us in body but he'll always be with us in spirit. Life will go on without Mack but it won't be life, as we knew it together. Still I know that I've been blessed to have a friend like Mack.
When I look around today I see other people who loved Mack. Friends, American Airlines employees, their family members that grew to know Mack and those who helped him while he was ill. His family is grieving deeply of course; but I know they find comfort in your presence. I can only guess what Mack meant in each one of your lives. He may have been a friend, neighbor, or a workmate. He might have shared a hobby with you. Whatever your link with Mack I am sure you were enriched by him. In a moment if you are able - we would like you to share your memories of him, to see the Mack we didn't know.
We live out our remembering in the context of our everyday lives. We thank God for the years we were blessed to have Mack and go about the day as usual, seeking some sort of normalcy. But normal is not easy, but it is inclusive, so we need to become more sensitive, caring and try to adopt some of Mack's attributes in us to make the world we live in a better place.
Mack knew of my faith and I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I personally find strength and healing for Mack's passing in Jesus Christ. God's love wraps around you to comfort you. We all leave an inheritance, whether we intend to or not. How wonderful if we could be more intentional about what impression we are making, what will be remembered, how we could influence others for their good as Mack did. Because of our loss of Mack, we know the frailty of life and the value of intentional living. Part of the inheritance we receive from Mack is that fact that death is real and touches us all. Now we can take that truth and use it for the glory of God. We can touch others with His love and impact their lives in ways that draw them closer to him. I am sad Mack has left my life. But I can picture him looking at me with that one-of-a-kind smile, leaning back a bit and saying "be thankful for what you have and get on with life, enjoy it."
I pray that God blesses you, Linda and Tina, and he comforts you. And God blesses all of you that Mack knew.
On behalf of Mack and his family, thank you all for coming today.
