Lester "Mack" Laney

Mack was born on August 21, 1947 in Guymon, Oklahoma. He grew up in Southwestern Missouri, mostly Springfield, where he graduated from Central High School and then Southwest Missouri State College.

His professional career began as a teacher at Fordland, Missouri where he taught for seven years. He then moved to California where he began a highly successful career in property development and management working for Lincoln Properties, later known as Legacy Properties, where he was a senior manager for many years.

He was an avid collector of art and antiques. His homes were “show places” and ever changing.

As an avid reader, his literary collection was impressive as was his library of classical, opera and current music.

He enjoyed opening his homes to many; San Francisco, Napa, Laguna, Palm Springs, Honolulu, New Orleans and most recently, Jolly Mill in Pierce City, Missouri.

He travels were many; his favorite likely being Italy.

Mack was an entertaining story teller. He could fabricate "unbelievable", fact-filled stories to the point of having many on the edges of their seats in awe and total belief.

Preceding Mack in his earthy departure were Harry, his loving Pug, brother Ross Laney and his wife Shirl, parents, Reed and Ruth (Watson) Laney and a number of very close friends.

Mack will be dearly missed by his many friends and his family.

His immediate surviving family members include his three brothers, his sister and their families: brother Reed and his wife Judy of Bunnell, Florida; brother David and his wife Cheryl Ann Barnes of Scottsmoor, Florida, and David's children Derek, Jennifer, Alexander, Shaunny, Jake and their families; brother Ross' son Zachary and his family; sister Nancy of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and her son Matt and his family; and brother Kent and his sons Griffy and Abram of Springfield, Missouri, who have been care givers to Mack over the past three years. And of course, Mack's first cousins with whom he was very close; Sue, Lou, Mark, Carmen, Jim, Rhonda and recently deceased cousins RaSonya and Rene and families.

A “Celebration Of Mack” will be planned for early fall and details will be communicated soon.

Our Very Special Thanks to the teams at Cox Hospital, 6 West and East, Springfield Villa, and Preferred Hospice. The care provided to Mack was exemplary.

Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com