MacFarlane L. Cates Jr. ’49

Mac died May 2, 2021, in Spartanburg, S.C., at his lifetime home. 

Mac attended Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. While at Princeton, where his father was in the Class of 1922, he roomed with Sonny Ashworth and David Semmes, majored in economics, and was a member of Cap and Gown. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, then joined Arkwright Mills, the textile firm. He was its CEO for many years until his retirement. He belonged to the South Carolina and American Textile Manufacture associations and served on the boards of Sea Pac, Spartan Mills, Liberty Mutual, C & S Bank, and the Carolinas Board of NationsBank.

Mac was on the boards of Chatham Hall school and Hollins College, and was a leader in numerous community organizations including the United Way, Spartanburg Music Foundation, Spartanburg Historical Society, and the Sirrine Foundation. He and wife Marguerite were named Citizens of the Year in 2017 by the Kiwanis Club for their “multi-faceted involvement in the community.”

Mac is survived by his wife of 71 years, Marguerite; four daughters, Marguerite, Elisabeth, Kathleen, and Mary; and two grandchildren. Our sympathy goes to Mac’s family and friends.