0
Shell666

Mac from LP (Lyle MacIsaac)

Recommended Posts

Found out today that Mac passed away in LP.

Mac was one of the people I LOVED seeing in LP the MOST! He was always the first person I saw when I got there. Probably because he was sitting on the porch of the bar. I’d always stop and run up and hug him. And promise to meet him in the bar later, after I setup camp. And I always did. And he always bought me a drink. And he always asked me run away with him. I told him CJ would get mad. He said she would just join us.

Boy I’ll miss him. :(

Here's to Mac

HIM
HIM
FUCK HIM!!

Love you baby! :)
'Shell

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This really bums me out:(:(

I remember when I graduated AFF and I was buying my case of beer up at the bar. Mac keep asking me to tell my jump story over and over again. Im sure he was tired of hearing it but he knew I was so excited to tell it. That is the kind of guy Mac was, truly one of the best.

R.I.P Mac

“Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, th

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
What can you say about Mac?

One of my best days was with Mac and Ken. We flew over to Schaefer Meadows where Ken and I jumped in. Mac landed with the plane (he hadn't gotten his new hip yet) and we fished the middle fork of the Flathead. After a day of whipping the river with chicken feathers and catching nothing - except Mac who was the only sucessful fishermen that, and many other days - we got back into the plane to head back. After nearly getting trapped in the mountains due to lots of clouds suddenly moving in, we jumped back into Kalispell and headed back to the Lounge to tell stories of all the big fish we didn't catch.

It's kind of an anticlimactic story, but I remember it as one of my best days spent with good friends. I'll miss his loud cackling laughter. I'll miss smoking nasty Dutch Masters cigars with him and Tousey (it was always nicer when Pete showed up with good cigars). I'll even miss sitting in the bar with him listening to the same story he had just told me twenty minutes before. I'll just miss him.

Mac was sometimes and asshole, always opinionated, and far from perfect, but he was one of the best people I've known. I wish I could see him again.

HIM! HIM!......... FUCK HIM!!
--------------------------------------------------
If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I'm going to miss him calling out my name loudly at the Lounge in that gravely voice..."Look out, the fireman from East LA is here"!!! "Stay away from my daughter, Grimm!!!". And then we would laugh and have a beer or three together and catch up on the past year's events.
The party nights on his deck are ledgendary, his fishing prowess amazing and his line of BS never ending.
He taught many of the LP regulars how to jump years ago.
It will be strange not to see him sitting at the bar, eye glasses all crooked, drinking a Bud, wearing an old blue shirt and some ugly ass to short for him plaid shorts and chomping a cigar.
I'm gonna miss that ol' coot...

Him...
Him...
Fuck Him!

Fly free Mac!!!!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Mac decided he needed to teach me how to dive on formations one day, so we planned a fairly structured jump where I was supposed to learn to dive. He got surprisingly detailed on the dirt dive and we went over it and over it (kind of out of charachter really). Once we were at altitude and he was spotting, he asked if I was ready. As the door opened, and I was going over the details of the skydive one last time, I looked up to say 'yes I'm ready' and I noticed that he had already left the plane scrapping the whole plan. With somewhere around one to two thousand feet between us I got out and learned to dive.

I've done the same to a few other people learning to skydive, and afterwards I always tell them about the old guy who did that to me.

HIM!HIM! FUCK HIM!
--------------------------------------------------
If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What CAN you say about Mac? Wow. There's lots. And probably a lot more that I've forgotten.

I spent some time with him on the deck of the LP Lounge during the boogie last year. I got there quite early in the boogie. So early, I think there was ONE other trailer there. And Mac was sitting up on the deck waving as I drove by.

He was there every morning too. The bar wasn't open until 4pm or so (more like 5pm when Stinky dragged his ass down to open or sent Adam to do it for him). I'd drive by on my way to the shower (don't scoff about the driving part .. I was on vacation .. I'm allowed to be a "princess"). And on my way back to camp, I'd stop at the "sidewalk" to the lounge and yell at him ..

"You gonna stick around? I'll be right back?"

He said "Where the hell am I gonna go!"

I spent a few mornings there with him.

He told me about the fishing. And I don't doubt those fish were THAT BIG!!!

We talked about the "old days" at the boogie (well, the time I've been there) and hoped that one day we could have those days back. Where the "old side" of the bar was ours, the "small bar" was full of fuddie duddies smoking cigars and lamenting their day and hoping their bar would be "their's" again :D;) and talked about the people there and those in spirit that meant a lot to us.

Pretty profound discussions for an old Montana boy and a Canadian girl. But it was our connection. And I'm sure I'll miss that more than I am right now.

I've been preparing for LP for a few months now. Getting stuff together, putting things in piles, buying stuff and hoping I haven't forgotten anything.

And thinking about all the people I get to see there. Mac was on the top of my list. Not only because the first drink was ALWAYS on him, but because he was "Mac".

And I'll miss that gravelly voiced, opinionated old coot!

Him
Him
Fuck
Him

And he'll appreciate that little ditty!

'Shell

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Memorial for Mac

For all those who can attend, there will be a gathering at Lost Prairie Lounge this upcoming Saturday, April 28th. Come any time that you want and get ready to tell (and listen to) any and all of the great McIsaac stories. A pot luck dinner has been suggested and will begin around 6 PM. Don't worry if you can't bring something for the meal as I'm sure that there will be plenty of food for everyone. Your presence is what is important. But, if you cannot be here, we know that you, through your fond thoughts and prayers, will be here in spirit.

CJ and her family want to express their great thankfulness for all the support and beautiful considerations that everyone has shown in this difficult time. If anyone wants to make a donation to one of the family's charities, (those charities will be named soon) in Mac's name, that is their wish in place of other gifts.

This is just one of the many gatherings through the year that will find friends of Mac getting together and lifting a glass to his honor and his memory. Please pass on this message to anyone who might not be able to see it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ah, damn!
I met Mac at Ghoulidge back in the 70s and made a bunch of jumps with him.
We had a place at the dropzone called "The Wreck Hall," where the motto was "don't wreck the wreck hall while you're getting wrecked."
This was in the days before video, but there were a few folks around who shot a lot of still photos, and every weekend we'd have a slide show in the Wreck Hall's Ghoulidge Cinema.
One night during one of Mac's visits, Danny peters and Tony Gonzales showed a bunch of their slides with a projector. We all enjoyed the slides awhole bunch, but nearly as much as Mac, because while we were all looking at slides, Mac was seeing a movie.
He told me once at Lost Prairie that the Wreck Hall exposed him to a whole other aspect of skydiving.
Mac was, all by himself, another aspect of skydiving.
During one of the Lost Prairie boogies, Mac took me flyfishing for the first time in my life, told me everything I needed to know and damned if I didn't hook into a trophy-sized trout on the first cast. Mac was even more excited about it than I was, and told me, later that night in the bar, that he'd been after that monster trout for a couple years, but had never been able to entice it with a fly. I unhooked the fish and tossed it back in the water, and I thought Mac was going to kill me for it.
"What in the hell did you do that for?" he roared at me in disgust ... until I told him it was only fitting that he should be the one to take that fish home.
The following year, Mac gave me a photo of him holding that same fish, and at every other boogie I made it to at Lost Prairie, my money was no good for drinks at the bar. He was a character among mankind. I'm going to miss seeing Mac again. There won't be another man like him in my lifetime.
Zing Lurks

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
The summer I went to work at Lost Prairie I found Mac, of all places, on the porch of the bar. The conversation quickly turned to fishing and I asked him if he would teach me to fly fish – lucky for me the old man agreed. We went out to his usual local fishing spots a few times a week - Mac checked his laughter while I untied knots in my line and learned to cast. Most fishing days ended with a stop by the Resort or the Tramp for a beer, a cigar, and some good conversation. By the end of the summer I had a decent cast and a friend for life.

Through the years Mac taught me more than fishing. Through the way he lived here are a few things he showed me:

Drink beer at the end of every fishing trip, but not during. You spend too much time pissing.
Aging sucks, but don’t let it slow you down.
Laugh about yourself, your friends, life… everything.
‘Never say Whoa in a horse race’ – drinking is a competition sport.
Old, rotten skydiving gear with loose risers and a round reserve works.
Have a dog.
Don’t get involved in local squabbles.
Make a decision and then move on.
When he says “pull over I have to piss” that mean start applying breaks now.
Take a young skydiver up for a jump.
Be devoted to and love your family without fail.
After a night in the bar, always go home with two five-dollar bills in your shirt pocket.
A well told story is worth telling twice… and then some.
Brag on your friends and give loud compliments.
Let your friends brag about you; be humble about yourself.
Never, ever pass out at the bar.
Make new skydivers feel special.
There’s nothing better than a group of friends hanging out at the bar in Lost Prairie.

Mac was more than a friend – he was an example of how to live a big, full life. I will drink better beer on my fishing trips now, but I will never find a better fishing partner.

You are an icon of the prairie, my friend, and I’ll miss you.

My thoughts and prayers are with Steph and CJ.
-ken
)'(

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oddly enough, he usually got my last drink in the Lounge each year. So he cheered your arrival and my departure. :D Thanks for the drinks and the stories over the years Mac, you'll definitely be missed.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Update for charity donation::

Mac’s family suggests the American Cancer Society if anyone would like to make a contribution to their work.

If you would like to send an e-mail to the family, the e-address is: [email protected]

Please feel free to post your thoughts in this forum. I will print them out and be sure that CJ and all receive your comments.

If your are flying into Kalispell commercially and need transport or if you need a place to stay, give me a call. I will arrange it for you.

Thanks very much.
Fred
406-858-2493

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I only met Mac one time at the prairie so I didn't get to know him like everybody else. I know that the skydiving community as a whole and LP have lost a pioneer in this sport and I know that he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Blue Skies Mac. You are in perpetual freefall now.


I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Update for charity donation::

Mac’s family suggests the American Cancer Society if anyone would like to make a contribution to their work.

If you would like to send an e-mail to the family, the e-address is: [email protected]

Please feel free to post your thoughts in this forum. I will print them out and be sure that CJ and all receive your comments.

If your are flying into Kalispell commercially and need transport or if you need a place to stay, give me a call. I will arrange it for you.

Thanks very much.
Fred
406-858-2493



Fred, I can't make it (though I wish I could!) but please pass along many hugs and kisses to CJ and Steph for me. And have someone do the same from me to you.

Mac meant a LOT to me. He was on the top of my list of people I LOVED to see when I got to LP.

Driving in there this year won't be the same. :(

To CJ and Steph .. girls, I love you more than you know. And I loved Mac more than you know.

I wish I could be there to celebrate that old coots life. I'll be raising more than one tomorrow to him. Hell, I may call the Lounge and talk to you. You never know ...

Love to you all.

and a special bit of love for Mac.

Him .. him .. you know the rest ...
'Shell

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Some great words. Thanks for sharing.

Quote

Brag on your friends and give loud compliments.



You know until you mentioned this I didn't recognize it myself. Yet, Mac lived this. I was always a bit in the background at the bar, but I could always count on finding Mac there to chat with and make me feel at home in that crowded bar during Jumpmeet. Every time I got there he would make it a point to tell whichever dickhead was there some story about me. There were only a couple, but he loved telling them again and making sure I felt part of the conversation.

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us at the LP bar to remember how great Mac was, and how great he made us feel.

Mac, you will be dearly missed. Yet our memories and your inspirations will live on forever.
Packin' Jack
42nd Lost Prairie: The Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe, and Skydiving
25 Jul - 3 Aug 2009
2007 photos: http://www.skydive.com/prairie/pages/prairie.htm

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Some great words. Thanks for sharing.

Quote

Brag on your friends and give loud compliments.



You know until you mentioned this I didn't recognize it myself. Yet, Mac lived this. I was always a bit in the background at the bar, but I could always count on finding Mac there to chat with and make me feel at home in that crowded bar during Jumpmeet. Every time I got there he would make it a point to tell whichever dickhead was there some story about me. There were only a couple, but he loved telling them again and making sure I felt part of the conversation.


Come to think of it, he did that with me too. And I never gave it a second thought because, well, that's what he always did. He'd tell anyone that would listen that I was Michelle from Canada. And I was one of the SWEETEST girls he'd ever met. It's so nice to know he meant that. :)
Quote

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us at the LP bar to remember how great Mac was, and how great he made us feel.



I tried calling but everyone was busy. Deana said you were reading poems and stories about Mac. I didn't want to interrupt that.

Quote

Mac, you will be dearly missed. Yet our memories and your inspirations will live on forever.



Yes they will. :)
'Shell

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
No matter how big LP gets this year, there will still be a blank space that can never be filled. When I got Fred's email I just sat at the computer and felt "this can't be right". We all watched Mac grow older over the years but we felt he was more like the Prairie and Meadow Peak, he would always be there.

He would always call me "Mad" and ask me how Bill Dause was doing. He always hoped he could get him to take some time off and come to the prairie. For years he's been telling a story that I once found him in the bar and said "MacIssac, I'd buy you a drink but you've already had too much" and how that always pissed him off, but he'd laugh about it whenever he told it. For the life of me I don't remember that ever happening but I always played along and kept saying it. I still bought him drinks though. My earliest memory is him inviting me up to the house for CJ's huckleberry pancakes for breakfast. That's when I knew I had become part of LP.

We've lost a source of a lot of great stories. Imagine if you can, Pete Hill being a low time jumper and Andy Harris flying a Beech through IFR conditions. Just one of the "old days" stories I heard from Mac.

Blue skies you dickhead.

madjohn

Main goals in life: Be on the "Jumpers Over Eighty" (JOE) World Record and attend the Lost Prairie Boogie once after I'm gone.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

No matter how big LP gets this year, there will still be a blank space that can never be filled. When I got Fred's email I just sat at the computer and felt "this can't be right". We all watched Mac grow older over the years but we felt he was more like the Prairie and Meadow Peak, he would always be there.



You just summed up what the Prairie will feel like this year. A LOT empty. New jumpers won't get to hear those great stories he told. And us old folks won't get to hear them again.

We'll raise a few for Mac this year. And again next year and the year after.

And we'll have to tell a few stories too. We owe him that.

:)
'Shell

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Today we had a memorial ash dive for Mac at Lost Prairie. I wanted to share some of the images from the event for those who couldn't be here with us. You'll notice as you go through these that there were plenty of photographers on hand so there should be a number of other images available.

HIM!
HIM!
FUCK HIM!
Packin' Jack
42nd Lost Prairie: The Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe, and Skydiving
25 Jul - 3 Aug 2009
2007 photos: http://www.skydive.com/prairie/pages/prairie.htm

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Today we had a memorial ash dive for Mac at Lost Prairie. I wanted to share some of the images from the event for those who couldn't be here with us. You'll notice as you go through these that there were plenty of photographers on hand so there should be a number of other images available.

HIM!
HIM!
FUCK HIM!



The ash dive was beautiful to watch from the ground. And it was like Mac was looking out for everyone because it seemed the liked the ashes didn't dissipate completely until everyone was safe and sound on the ground.

:)
'Shell

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0