By Staff
Lennox Polk McLendon, Jr., 89, of Greensboro, N.C. died October 11, 2010.
Mac was born on February 2, 1921, in Durham, N.C. to the late Major L.P. McLendon and wife, Mary Aycock McLendon. He graduated from Baylor School and received his undergraduate degree in 1942 and law degree in 1948 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was inducted into The Order of the Golden Fleece and The Order of the Grail. He enlisted in the 8th Air Force in 1942 and served during WWII with the 389th Bomb Group, 564th squadron, in Hethel, England. He received extensive training in the new and highly secretive use of radar for navigation at Yale University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Syracuse, N.Y., Presque Isle, Me., and Charleston, S.C. Also, prior to going overseas, he was stationed at Navigation School, Selman Field, Monroe, La., the hometown of his future wife, Mary Lavinia Inabnet. In keeping with his sense of adventure and romance, Mac often flew his training missions at low level over her house, and they were married after the war on December 29, 1945. Commissioned as a Lieutenant he flew 21 missions over Nazi occupied Europe as lead navigator in B-24 bombers and received the Purple Heart, Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. He served under Wing Commander, Col. Jimmy Stewart. He was later promoted to Major in the Air Force Reserve. In 1948 he joined his father’s law firm in Greensboro, where he practiced for over 60 years. The firm, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey and Leonard grew to over 80 lawyers with offices in Greensboro and Raleigh. He served three terms in the North Carolina Senate in the years 1965, 1967, and 1971. Mac later served as President of the Greensboro Bar Association, President of the Greensboro Community Council, and President of the North Carolina Children’s Home Society. He was a member of the Board of Visitors of Appalachian State University and Guilford College, the Board of Directors of the UNC/Chapel Hill School of Social Work, the Board of Directors of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, the Greensboro Board of Education, the North Carolina Art Museum Building Committee, the North Carolina Constitutional Study Commission, the Governor’s Aviation Advisory Commission, the Conversation Club and the Kiwanis Club. He was a long time member of the First Presbyterian Church where he served as past Chairman Board of Deacons, Elder, and as a popular Sunday school teacher. Mac loved flying and amassed over 4,000 hours of flight time. He was an avid tennis player; enjoying the game with his regular tennis friends, and he played up until one month of his death. He also enjoyed golf, sailing, fishing, hunting, skiing, and gardening. Long Beach, N.C. held a special place in his heart and he loved Tar Heel sports. His Scottish heritage allowed him to be tenacious at work and play and to maintain his great sense of humor, story telling ability and contagious laugh.
He is survived by his son, Christopher B. McLendon and his wife, Nancy Wilson McLendon of Washington, N.C.; son, Brantley A. McLendon of Greensboro and daughter, Mary I. McLendon of Greensboro. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary Lavinia Inabnet McLendon, a son, Lennox Polk McLendon III, a brother, Charles A. McLendon and sister, Mary L. Atkinson McLendon Wall.
He is also survived by four grandchildren, Christopher B. McLendon, Jr., Lennox Polk McLendon II, Nancy Stewart McLendon, Locke McLendon Williams and two brothers, Dr. William W. McLendon and John A. McLendon.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions to Page High School, for the Len McLendon Scholarship Fund, 201 Alma Pinnix Drive, Greensboro, N.C. 27405.
Following a private family service at Forest Lawn Cemetery, there will be a memorial service held at First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 15, 2010. The family will receive friends immediately after the service in the Virginia Gilmer room.
Service to the family provided by Paul Funeral Home of Washington, NC. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.paulfuneralhome.com.
Paid Obituary