Two sporting goods and team sports legends recently passed away.

John A. McArthur, the man whose name graced the iconic team dealer and sporting goods retailer he founded back in 1967, passed away Feb. 10, 2020, from pneumonia and cardiac failure. He was 92.

Born in St. Louis, John attended Cleveland High School before joining the Army in 1946. He founded Johnny Mac’s Sporting Goods in 1967. The sporting goods retailer eventually expanded to operate nine stores across Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Missouri, including five in the St. Louis region. McArthur retired from retail work in 1985 and passed the business on to his sons. Last year, the chain sold part of its business to BSN Sports, and then began closing its stores.

After McArthur retired from retail, he developed and operated the Johnny Mac’s Sports Complex in Valley Park, MO, overseeing the softball fields.

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

Jim Throneburg, a Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame inductee whose personal health issues inspired the invention of the “activity-specific” padded sock and a desire to help others live healthier lifestyles, passed away February 9 at 82.

Throneburg joined the family business of Throneburg Hosiery Mill and eventually changed the company name to Thorlo, Inc., in 1980. He was driven by the guiding principles of producing the best foot protection in the world and the sustainability of Thorlo beyond his own lifetime.

Throneburg was born February 25, 1937 in Statesville, NC, and his parents Lewis and Mattie founded the Throneburg Hosiery Mill in 1953. Jim joined the business in 1960 after serving in the United States Navy Submarine Service.

Nearly 50 years ago, Throneburg went into the Duke University weight-loss program because excessive weight gain had led to life-threatening illnesses. Walking became part of Throneburg’s daily exercise and weight loss but his foot problems caused severe pain. He began working with the family company to design the first sock with padding along the ball and heel of the foot. Thorlos’ simple mission was to make a person’s feet feel better for any type and level of activity.

Thorlo grew into a multi-million dollar business located in Statesville with more than 250 employees. It is one of the few remaining sock manufacturers in America that continues to make 100 percent of its products in the United States. Throneburg held more than 25 patents in the United States and internationally and was one of the most prolific inventors in the sock, insole and shoe industries.