Robert Earl "Mac" McLeroy, Jr.

 

Sulphur Springs Native and
San Antonio Photographer Passed Away, Tuesday, December 22nd

 

Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County lost a native son, on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, when San Antonio resident and photographer, Robert Earl "Mac" McLeroy, Jr. passed away, following complications from a stroke in May 2009. McLeroy, a 1970 SSHS graduate and former photographer for both the Cat's Tale and Cat's Paw staffs, had been a noted photographer for the San Antonio Express-News for almost 30 years.

McLeroy, the son of Robert Earl, Sr. and Evelyn McLeroy, was born on January 17, 1952, and reared in Sulphur Springs, where his parents owned Evelyn's Grocery Store, located at the corner of Putman and Lamar Streets, in Sulphur Springs.. He attended East Texas State University and graduated with a degree in photo-journalism, before accepting a position with the San Antonio Express-News.

"The McLeroy's store was on the corner of Putman and Jackson Street. The Building is still there. There is no one that grew up on the East Side that did not know Robert and his parents." stated longtime friend, Harold Nash. "I bought hundreds of two for a penny cookies and even more jack cookies there. We sold our pop bottles at the store to buy cookies and candy. I remember when gas at the store was 18 cents. I knew Robert long before High School. In fact, as far back as I can remember, Robert was always there!"

"McLeroy found the unusual in the ordinary and looked for angles and shots that would surprise the viewers in the Alamo City," expressed co-workers at the San Antonio Express-News. "He was affectionately known as 'Mac' by all of his peers and the many, many people he took photos of in Bexar County."

McLeroy taught photography at both Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin and being reared in Northeast Texas, was reported to have only known one word in Spanish, "Si," when he came to San Antonio. However, he "mastered" the language throughout his career and aided other photographers and news journalists in translating the language.

McLeroy is survived by his three step-children.

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