There are so many fascinating people in this world — and one of them, an angel named James “Jimmy Mack” McDowell walked into my life and showed me that I should look forward to getting older. Forever young at 90 when I met him, he remained evergreen until he passed away earlier this year, which was a few months after his 99th birthday.

Jimmy was a big band singer during WWII, and subsequently experienced an amazing life filled with fun and entertainment. Jimmy was a renowned broadcaster, both on radio and tv, then became a professional DJ, photographer, and videographer. He built his life around music and kept a pulse on Central Indiana entertainment.

Jimmy and the woman who would become his wife, Peggy, wrote thousands of pages of letters during their engagement while Jimmy was stationed overseas during WWII.

Part of the reason he was a prolific typist, is that he took (4) semesters of typing to graduate from HS in Lincoln, NE. After being drafted, he was stationed at Camp Atterbury. Typing was a highly coveted skill in the Army and Jimmy was stationed with a medical unit, where he would triage incoming patients. He was stationed within the 8th Air Corps in England.

Listen as Jimmy’s daughters, Bonnie McDowell Hinkle and Robin McDowell, and I reminisce about their dad and growing up with “showbiz” parents.

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Music by Adam Gibson of Adam Gibson Design Mixing by The Brassy Broadcasting Company

A Tribute to James “Jimmy Mack” McDowell, WWII Veteran