Zack R. Mccain

Zack R McCain, Jr. joined his wife in heaven on May 11, 2021. He felt that he had a great life with a sweet, loving wife who gave him six wonderful, God-fearing children. He was a member of Alameda Church of Christ in Norman, OK and served as both a Deacon and Elder in his years there. He was a student of God’s word and remained involved and supportive of the Alameda Church of Christ throughout his life. He loved science and appreciated God’s design of the world in which we live. He left this earth secure in his belief in Jesus Christ to join Mary Jane in heaven, knowing that the best is yet to come.
He was born at home at 620 Adams St. in Beaumont, Texas on March 24,1933 to Norma Lee (Tatum) McCain and Zack R McCain during the midst of the Great Depression. He was the 4th of their five children. His dad was hard working and set the example that Zack would carry with him throughout his life.
At the beginning of his senior year in high school, he received a great blessing in his American history class. Mary Jane Hirlinger sat at the desk in front of him and like the country song, “She had Me at Hello.” However, she did not even need to say hello; she just gave him that sweet smile. They were married on September 10, 1953. He was soon drafted into the Army during the Korean War and spent most of his tenure as a mechanic in Newfoundland, Canada. It was a hard two years to be separated from his sweet Mary Jane, baby daughter, and baby son.
With the help and support of his sweet, loving wife and the GI bill, he worked multiple jobs: at the Ford Tractor dealer, evening shifts at the Magnolia refinery, and various part-time jobs. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1960 from Lamar University.
His first engineering job was with the Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District. He later transferred to the Army procurement office in Fort Worth, TX to be closer to home. This position offered many opportunities with advanced new technologies and travel to manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. In 1965, he transferred to the General Service Administration Public Building Service in Dallas, TX. Then in 1968, he accepted a promotion to GSA Headquarters in Washington, DC. It was an exciting education for the entire family, as they were able to travel all over New England, Pennsylvania, and the mid-Atlantic. Almost every weekend, the family visited the Smithsonian museum or some other historic site in Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland.
In September 1973, he transferred to the U.S Postal Service Maintenance Technical Support Center in Norman, Oklahoma. This was a great move because of the significantly reduced cost of living and commute time; it allowed him to spend more time with his family and pursue his hobbies. This position also gave him the opportunity to get involved with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Safety code activities, which would provide him with a pathway for starting his own company after retirement from the government.
In September of 1990, he retired from the Postal Service and started McCain Engineering, specializing in building systems, with a strong focus on Elevators and Escalators. This involved performing special inspections, preparing specifications, and forensic work. As a volunteer on the ASME Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, he supported this activity by teaching and developing ASME professional development classes on elevators and escalators in major cities throughout North America. This allowed him to travel with Mary Jane to many interesting locations and visit 49 states and multiple Canadian provinces.
In May of 2015, he was honored as the “Legend” by fellow professional colleagues for his contributions. In 1995, Zack was selected to the ASME grade of Fellow (which is an honorary distinction instigated by peers without an individual’s knowledge). Some of his invaluable elevator tools used by inspectors and technicians today include: Elevator Maintenance Manual (now in 3rd Edition), Inspection Handbook (now in 7th Edition), Elevators 101, and technical contributions to Elevator World magazine. After 27 years, he retired and closed McCain Engineering in 2017. Zack had many hobbies: woodworking, buying older model cars and working on them, rebuilding player pianos, and vegetable gardening, to name a few.
Zack is survived by his daughter, Deborah Jane (McCain) Aldridge and husband Steven; sons, Zack R McCain, III and wife Wendy, Thomas Matthew McCain, Mark Casey McCain, James Harrell McCain and wife Erin; daughter, Linda Lea (McCain) Davis and husband Chuck; grandchildren, Brittainy Joyce McCain, Lucas McCain, Steven B. Aldridge II, Kristine (Davis) Seale, Jacob Davis, Madeline Rose McCain, Zack R McCain IV, Isaac McCain, Jaylee McCain, Ruthie McCain, Roxy McCain, and Aidan McCain; great grandchildren, Eden Isabella Stone, Claire Linnea Stone, and Carson McCain; sister Norma Jean Laudig and husband Don; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 19, 2021 between 5-7 pm at Tribute Memorial Care 708 24th Ave., NW, Suite 200, Norman, OK 73069. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at Alameda Church of Christ 801 E. Alameda St., Norman, OK 73071. Final resting place will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 2301 E. Indian Hills Rd., Norman, OK 73071.