As an icy wind bites at the cheeks, huddled figures emerge in the twilight. A soft chorus of drum beats resonates in the air, embodying an homage to a young man known for his indomitable spirit, tenderness, and unparalleled enthusiasm for music. An echo that reverberates through the heart of award-winning actor, Gary Sinise, as he pens a heartfelt tribute to his late son, McCanna Anthony “Mac” Sinise. Lost in the prime of his life nearly two months ago to chordoma, a devastatingly rare spinal cancer, it is Mac’s legacy of courage, of resilience, and the enduring bond with his father that defines his story – accentuating the tale of a young man whose love for music and keen aspiration to serve heroes chiseled a meaningful existence in his 34 years of life.
Born into a clan devoted to public service and the arts, Mac made his bold leap into the Gary Sinise Foundation, finding passion in aiding veterans, first responders, and their families. His innate talent on drums harmonized perfectly with Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band, punctuating multiple performances and tours spreading the symphony of benevolence. Yet, the sonata of life played a jarring note when Mac and his mother, Moira Sinise, were diagnosed with cancer — a startling revelation that stunned the family and sent Sinise plunging into exhaustive research on the condition.
As the thickness of despair whirled around them, Mac’s mother became a beacon of triumph by winning her arduous battle against Stage 3 breast cancer. However, Mac’s ambitious journey, punctuated by setbacks aplenty, tread a sorrowful path. His renewed engagement with his passion for music, despite losing his mobility, was a testament to his indomitable spirit. A harmonica filled the void left by the drums, and Mac meticulously began his magnum opus – “Arctic Circles,” seeing it to fruition with assistance from Oliver Schnee, Ben Lewis, and Dan Myers of the Lt. Dan Band.
“Resurrection & Revival” continued his narrative, symbolizing the revival of forgotten or unfinished music, but life’s cruel jest played out when Mac succumbed to his illness before its completion. Sinise recalls his son’s impassioned devotion to his Catholic faith and how it was an empowering force through his 5 and a half year battle with Chordoma; a melody that resonated with St. Augustine’s famous quote: “You have made us for yourself oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Today, as we remember Mac Sinise, we honor not just a young man succumbed to cancer but a brave soul disadvantaged physically but not spiritually, who prioritized service above self and music above melancholy. Much like the soldier running through the war-drenched fields in the movie “1917,” Mac relentlessly charged through his life’s battlefield, refusing to surrender to the relentless onslaught of this crippling illness.
And as the week memorializing the late Mac Sinise concludes, we take a moment to note his father’s poignant sentiment, a sentiment undoubtedly shared by all parents who have experienced the immeasurable loss of their child: “I am so blessed, fortunate, and proud to be his dad…It’s heartbreaking, and it’s just damn hard.” Despite the profound grief that invariably comes with the loss of a child, Sinise’s tribute to his son illuminates the resilient spirit of the human soul, echoing within the realm of music, faith, and boundless love.
A father pens a tribute, not just to mourn a life prematurely extinguished but to celebrate resilience, determination, and passion that painted Mac’s life’s canvas. The powerful tale of a young man whose love for music became his sanctuary and whose commitment to service became his life’s melody rings loud and clear amidst the mournful dirges. A tribute that is indeed a serenade to his extraordinary son, an ode to the resilience of the human spirit, a testament to the healing power of music, and a paean to the nourishing essence of faith. Mac Sinise’s unfinished symphony will continue to play on, reverberating through the hearts of those he left behind, and his spirit will continue its eternal dance around the sacred circle of life, death, and resiliency.
