Obituaries

Ralph "Mac" McKinney Clift

Photo of Ralph "Mac" McKinney Clift
Ralph "Mac" McKinney Clift,of Bentonville, passed away on Feb.13, 2015 at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale. He is survived by his brother, Orville C. Clift (Shannon) of Tontitown; nieces, Crystal Virginia Clift Marschewski of Rogers, Heather Aileen Clift of Springdale; nephews, Larry Ennis (Carol) of Ada, Okla., Joe Ennis (Kary) of Springdale; Ostie D. Hobbs, great-nephew of Fort Smith; and dear friend and caregiver, Mary Bennett of Bella Vista. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank Marshall and Geraldine Virginia (McKinney) Clift;q and a sister, Lou Ann Clift Burton. Born in Marlow, Okla., on Aug. 2, 1944, Ralph moved with his family to Bentonville in 1947. He attended Bentonville schools until 1958, whereupon he enrolled in the Oklahoma Military Academy, Claremore, Okla. graduating there in 1962 as an ROTC officer. He played trumpet in the concert and marching bands and was a member of the Honor Society. He enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville that fall, where he earned both his Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees in Drama. After receiving his graduate degree, he was employed at Casa Mañana, a children's theater in Ft. Worth. At the end of his contract, he traveled to New York City and then to Southern California. A member of SAG-AFTRA, Ralph appeared in several regional and national commercials, one of which was one of the Pace Picante epics now appearing on Youtube. He also appeared in several made-for-TV movies, and other productions. On television, he made appearances in Saved by the Bell; Murder, She Wrote; Days of Our Lives and a number of other daytime dramas. He played Gov. John Patterson in the TV movie, Robert Kennedy and His Times. He was also associated with AFI, the American Film Institute of Hollywood. As a stage actor, he appeared on dinner theater circuits nationwide, including stages in Austin, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Denver, and New Orleans. Ralph was also an accomplished musician in brass, string, and wind instruments, particularly the harmonica. He was a member of the University of Arkansas' Schola Cantorum. He also appeared with other actors as Wyatt Earp and other gunmen at several Six Flags amusement parks in the U. S. as gunfighters. These were enactments of historical events such as bank robberies and jailbreaks in the Old West. Retiring from his acting career, Ralph returned to Northwest Arkansas, where he was employed by Benton County as a detention deputy in the Benton County Detention Center at Bentonville. An informal celebration of Ralph's life will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2015 at the Callison-Lough Funeral Home Chapel in Bentonville. The family of Ralph will welcome friends and classmates amidst a review of his accomplishments and awards. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Oklahoma Military Academy Alumni Association at 1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd, Claremore, Okla. 74017. Cremation arrangements are by Callison-Lough Funeral Home of Bentonville. Online condolences are welcome at www.CallisonLough.com.

Published February 22, 2015

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