Johnny Mac’s Founder Passes Away at 92

DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS (February 13, 2020) – John A. McArthur, founder of the Johnny Mac’s sporting goods chain, passed away Feb. 10 from pneumonia and cardiac failure at the age of 92. McArthur founded Johnny Mac’s Sporting Goods in 1967 in St. Louis and eventually expanded to nine stores in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Missouri.

“He loved it,” McArthur’s son, John S. McArthur, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Dad made the community a better place to live … he didn’t talk much about helping or doing, he just did it. It’s why he sponsored so many children’s teams.”

John A. McArthur retired from the business in 1985 and developed and operated the Johnny Mac’s Sports Complex in suburban St. Louis. Johnny Mac’s sold its team business to BSN Sports in February of 2019 and closed its retail operation.

McArthur also officiated football and umpired baseball from the high school levels through the Big Eight Conference and was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for his dedication to umpiring. He was a lifetime member of the National Softball Association.

McArthur is survived by his wife Eleanor and his sons John, Gerald, Robert and Richard. A fifth son, Michael, died in 1973.