). ▁The ▁elder ▁Taylor ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁Arm ored ▁Division , ▁which ▁liber ated ▁the ▁concentration ▁camp ▁Buch en wald . ▁In ▁a ▁t aped ▁interview , ▁an ▁elder ly ▁Hol oca ust ▁surv iv or ▁rec ount s ▁how ▁Mac ' s ▁father , ▁then ▁a ▁young ▁Private , ▁restored ▁his ▁dign ity ▁and ▁even ▁offered ▁him ▁a ▁c andy ▁bar . ▁ ▁After ▁being ▁dem obil ized , ▁Mac ' s ▁father ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁mechan ic ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Side ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁where ▁Mac ▁was ▁raised . ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁episode ▁of ▁season ▁ 8 ▁Mac ▁was ▁revealed ▁to ▁have ▁Wel sh ▁her itage , ▁and ▁has ▁the ▁middle ▁name ▁L le wel lyn . ▁ ▁Mac ' s ▁father ▁died ▁of ▁small - cell ▁lung ▁cancer ▁and ▁spent ▁the ▁last ▁eight ▁months ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁in ▁bed ▁on ▁a ▁feed ing ▁t ube . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Mac ▁has ▁come ▁to ▁believe ▁strongly ▁in ▁a ▁person ' s ▁right ▁to ▁a ▁dign ified ▁death . ▁However , ▁when ▁his ▁father ▁begg ed ▁him ▁to ▁pull ▁the ▁plug , ▁Mac ▁couldn ' t ▁do ▁it . ▁ ▁Mac ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁native ▁Cla ire ▁Con rad . ▁They ▁married ▁not ▁long ▁before ▁Mac ' s ▁father ▁died , ▁pres umably ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁couple ▁had ▁no ▁children , ▁though ▁Cla ire ▁had