Roderick J. MacKenzie, Jr
Roderick J. MacKenzie, Jr
Roderick J. MacKenzie, Jr, 66, formerly of Fairfield and Newtown, and first selectman in Newtown from 1987 to 1989, died October 23, in Menlo Park, Calif. He was born October 12, 1946, in Bridgeport, to Margaret âPeggyâ Lee and Roderick MacKenzie.
In 1968, Mr MacKenzie graduated from Roanoke College, and followed that with a degree from the University of Miami Law School in 1971. He practiced law in Newtown during the 1970s and 1980s.
He was an active member in the parishes of St Rose of Newtown, and St Anthony of Danbury, and in the Newtown Chapter of the International Rotary Club. While living in Connecticut, he participated in Republican politics at the local, state, and national levels.
In the early 1990s, Mr MacKenzie became town manager for Salisbury, Mass. In 1992, his battle with cancer culminated in remission and he became a cancer survivor. He then volunteered with Connecticut and Massachusetts hospice until he relocated to San Jose, Calif., where he received a degree from Sofia University (formerly the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology) in 2001. He was employed as a mental health counselor until 2008.
Mr MacKenzie enjoyed running, politics, debating, meditation, singing, reading, listening to music, watching movies, photography, and hiking.
His daughters Meghan Walstatter, and her husband Matt, of Portland, Ore., and Kate MacKenzie of New York City; and a grandson, Jackson MacKenzie Walstatter, survive Mr MacKenzie. In addition, his brothers, Malcolm and David and wives, June and Mary, all of Fairfield; his sister, Missy Cumings, and her husband Michael, of Shelton; and brother-in-law Robert Murray of Newtown; as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins survive him. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Isabelle MacKenzie Murray.
Memorial Services will be announced at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to The Newtown Scholarship Association, PO Box 302, Newtown CT 06470.
To send online condolences, visit www.redgatehennessy.com.
The Newtown Bee      November 2, 2012