Gary Sinise Mourns Son After Death at Age 33

During the summer of 2018, Gary Sinise's wife and son were both diagnosed with cancer. While Sinise's wife, Moira, ultimately went into remission from breast cancer and has remained cancer-free, their son, McCanna Anthony "Mac" Sinise, battled a rare form of cancer known as chordoma for the next five and a half years. His dad hadn't spoken about it publicly until an interview on December 29 of last year—the day before Mac went into the hospital for what would turn out to be the final time. He died this year on January 5, Sinise reveals in an emotional tribute to his 33-year-old son posted to the Gary Sinise Foundation website.

Mac had worked for the foundation, which supports US veterans and their families, before his diagnosis, and he continued his work there until 2020, when he stepped away to focus full-time on his treatment, recovery, and rehab. A musician since age nine who had often played with his dad's Lt. Dan Band, Mac later got inspired to complete a piece of music he'd started in college but never finished. Ultimately, he did a lot more, recording an album containing both original songs as well as covers of songs that meant something to him, with him playing harmonica on many of the tunes. He died the week it went to press. "I am so blessed, fortunate, and proud to be his dad," Sinise writes. His full, moving tribute is here. (More Gary Sinise stories.)