Robert Lance Mcafee Sr.

Robert Lance McAfee, Sr. - aka “Captain America,” has landed at his final destination. Born in Calhoun, GA on August 26, 1946, Lance passed away in his home in Port St. Joe, FL on July 16, 2024. Son of Captain Frank Montgomery McAfee and Alice Rose Lance McAfee, he was the second of six children. His early years were spent moving around the country during his father’s Naval aviation career. While in Norfolk, VA, Lance enlisted in the Navy to pursue his own dream of becoming an aviator. Upon his father’s retirement, the family moved to Rome, GA. Lance attended the University of Georgia, joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and became a lifelong Bulldogs fan. Lance later set down roots in Cartersville, GA where he founded both The Lance Studio and Audio Graphics as a studio and commercial photographer. From there, he returned to his true passion by founding Southland Aviation.

For those who spent time with Lance, you were sure to be entertained by his many aviation exploits. Be it related to his time with the Georgia Boys restoring and flying WWII aircraft, flying missions for Phoenix Air, recovering aircraft in South America or Lake Allatoona, providing air/sea support for the SS Central America gold recovery project, leading the design/build efforts for spherical airships or just sitting around the hangar, you were bound to be entertained by the master storyteller. His curiosity, intellect and love of aviation both filled and fulfilled his life.

Along with aviation, Lance also had a love for helping people. There are certainly many pilots out there who have benefited from Lance’s mentoring and networking, but he also gave freely of his time away from the airport. While in Cartersville, GA, he served as past president of The Pumphouse Players Community Theater, past president and Board Chair of The Good Shepherd Foundation as well as Board member for the Hickory Log organization. More recently, Lance attempted to bring more drug prevention programs into our education system to stem the tide of this growing epidemic. Other passion projects for Lance included creating unique works of art and furniture from airplane parts and refining his culinary skills in the kitchen.

Lance is preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Alice Rose McAfee, sister Sunny Walker and his son, Matt McAfee.

He is survived by four of his siblings: Diane Spencer, Frank McAfee (Marcia), Shawn Meyer and Jean Willey (Ed); his three children, Robert McAfee (Heather), Molly Rabenold (Chris) and Lauren Pressley (Jonathan), eight grandchildren he dearly loved, and too many cousins, nieces and nephews to count.

Lance had specifically requested not to have a funeral. An event is being planned to celebrate his life in Woodstock, Georgia on Saturday October 5th. More details to follow. In the meantime, we would be grateful if you would use the “Share a Memory” section to share some of your cherished photos, memories or stories on this site, allowing us all to enjoy them together.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Arena. It offers hope, non-judgmental support, and practical recovery resources to help people move forward in their recovery, whatever that looks like for them.

Link - https://www.recoverybartow.org/donate/