Milton "Mac" Makowsky

Milton Ray Makowsky, known as Mac by most, passed away unexpectedly August 5, 2020 at Providence Hospital in Waco, Texas.  Mac was born February 14, 1941 in Lamesa, Texas, graduated from University High School and Baylor University before enlisting in the Air Force in 1965.  While in the Air Force, Mac became a pilot with the nickname of “Boomer” and ultimately became a flight instructor teaching Air Force trainees the intricacies of flying a jet aircraft.  Mac was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1970 after accepting a position to fly commercial jets for a major airline.  As a result of the oil embargo in the 1970’s, the airlines deferred on-boarding new pilots for a period of time.  Newly unemployed after leaving the Air Force, Mac needed to make a living while he waited for his offer to fly for a commercial airline to be reinstated.  At this point, Mac decided to build and sell a house based on his work as a carpenter when he was a kid.  Not surprisingly, Mac excelled at building homes to the point that when the commercial airline role was available, he decided to stick with home building passing on the pilot opportunity.

Mac proved to be an exceptional home builder with a fantastic eye for creativity.  In the 70s and 80s, Mac built a series of contemporary homes using cedar, stone and interesting angles that were well ahead of their time and still stand out today.  Mac had a strong attention to detail, and he worked diligently to always deliver an exceptionally high-quality home.

Throughout Mac’s life, he maintained consistent appreciation and love for the following:
5. Flying
4. Hunting and fishing
3. Family
2. Wife
1. God

Flying: Throughout Mac’s life, he stayed very interested and active regarding flying.  He always had Flying magazines laying around the house, and any small plane flying overhead was sure to have his head looking to the sky to identify the plane type.   For a substantial portion of time, Mac owned a Cessna Skymaster which is a quirky twin-engine plane where the engines are mounted in the front and rear of the passenger compartment.  This push/pull design with center line thrust made Mac more comfortable with the safety factor for flying his family.

Hunting and Fishing: Mac had a lifelong love of outdoors and he was particularly fond of hunting and fishing.  Mac’s favorite form of hunting was elk season in Colorado.  Each year, Mac would apply for a lottery to get a hunting permit in Colorado.  He was particularly fond of hunting with a bow or a black powder rifle vs a traditional high-powered rifle.  Mac loved the thrill and challenge of the hunt, and he would spend hours practicing his elk bugle around the house to the point that everyone became quite familiar with the sound of a large bull elk.  Mac also loved to fish and throughout his life he always made time to drop a line in the water.

Family: One of Mac’s greatest strengths was his commitment to family, and his leadership of the family.  Inside the family, he was known as Pop and he was the greatest “Pop” in the history of “Pops”.  He always led by example, setting the right path for all to follow.  He also had a unique ability to say exactly what was needed at just the right time.  While Pop was a father to four children, he was a 2nd father to many more.  The house was always open to friends of the kids whether it be for a meal, fun, relaxation, access to the garage and tools or to even move in.  Pop made it so comfortable for other kids to be around the house that many of them still came around to visit as adults.  Pop always made time for his kids.  When he found out kids were out of school for a day, he was quick to offer a trip to the lake where he would happily drag kids around the lake until the sun went down.  He took great pride in being undefeated to any kid who thought they could stay on an inner tube he pulled on the lake.  When going to the lake wasn’t in season, Pop would provide hunting trips, fishing trips and other activities to spend time with his kids. With his grandkids, Pop always loved to talk smack about their favorite card game, May-I. Once all of the kids picked up on the May-I strategies, they quickly started winning the May-I belt (the MOST coveted award in the house) from Pop. However, he is clearly the all-time May-I wins record holder, and that can’t be taken from him.  He was an amazing father, and he established an incredibly high bar for his kids and grandkids to follow as parents.

Wife: Mac was deeply in love with his wife, Earline.  He took great pride in providing attention and care for her every need to the point where she has yet to put gas in a car since they were married.  He treated her as a true queen and his love for her was obvious with every look he passed her way.  Mac doted on Earline, and there hasn’t been a more perfect match in the history of mankind.  Mac and Earline were highly co-dependent on each other, and they set a standard that all marriages would be quite fortunate to achieve.  True love is a frequently used term, but in the case of Mac and Earle, the term understates the relationship they had with each other.

God: Mac was a true man of God putting faith at the top of his priorities.  Mac looked to his faith for guidance and meaning and he leaned on God to shepherd him through life.  There is no doubt Mac is comfortably in heaven waiting for his beloved Earle to join him.

Mac always maintained an upbeat attitude and his smile consistently lit up every room he occupied.  He was constantly singing a little ditty or injecting his favorite quips into everyday conversation.  You never knew what to expect when he entered the room, got up from his seat or simply wanted to change the topic.  He was always entertaining and always made you smile no matter what but in a very genuine way. He was never trying to skirt topics just simply lighten the mood. He was a man with so many facets all connecting beautifully to create one Bad Momba Jomba Dad!  RAH!

As a result of COVID, we will unfortunately not be holding a memorial service for a man who dearly deserves to be remembered and recognized.  In lieu of donations and as Mac/Pop would want, we ask you to spend extra quality time with your family and additional time in prayer.