William Patrick “Mac” McCauley, 71, of Front Royal, on June 9 struck his last chord here on earth, and is now playing with the Angel Band. Pat was born on March 17, 1948 in Washington, D.C., and being half Irish, there was little choice but to name him Pat. He attended St. James Elementary School and O’Connell High School in Falls Church and Arlington, respectively, and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Illinois University. He was an excellent mechanic, and almost always had a motorcycle on hand, favoring BMW and his 1972 Norton. His profession was land surveying and he was licensed in several states. He was a meticulous perfectionist in his work and also with his real passion in life, making music with the banjo and harmonica. He was a member of several bands, including the New Old Time Pickers, the Gospel Keys, Loose Strings, and the Bules. More recently he was half of the old-time music duo Annie and Mac, with his life partner of the past 19 years, Barbara Stevens (Annie). Annie and Mac were inducted into the National Traditional Country Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 2014, and Pat once took first place in the harmonica competition at the Virginia State Fair. Annie and Mac’s YouTube videos are enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of old-time music lovers from around the globe, and were the impetus of several new friendships. Nowhere will his vacant chair be felt more than in the family room, the front porch and the backyard, where he entertained family and friends with his virtuosity and eclectic song repertoire (think Grandpa Jones and Little Walter).
Pat was predeceased by his parents, William Michael and Simone LeBrun McCauley, sister Mary Elizabeth McCauley and wife Lynn Senf McCauley. Left to mourn his departure and cherish his memory are his loving partner Barbara Ann Stevens, a sister, Jeanne McCauley Trott (Ted), brothers John Michael McCauley (Phyllis) and Joseph Francis McCauley (Julia Herrick), step-daughters Emily Mitchell and Hannah Phillips (Jon), many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and a large cast of friends and admirers. A celebration of Pat’s life, with songs, stories and conviviality, will be held on Saturday, July 13 from 1 – 3 p.m. at Maddox Funeral Home, Front Royal. On Saturday, Aug. 3, a Mass will be said at St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church at 1:30 p.m., with interment following at St. James Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the ALS Association or the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.