Obituary of Jim McKenzie
On November 9, 2023 James (Jim) Bruce McKenzie passed on quietly and peacefully in his home surrounded by love.
Born in Hampton, New Brunswick, the youngest of 4 children born to Otto and Beulah McKenzie, he attended Hampton Consolidated School from Grade 1 to Grade 12. During the first UNB Winter Carnival, while a student of business, he met the beautiful woman who was to become his wife of 64 years, Marilyn Downey from Upper Coverdale.
Upon his graduation from UNB they married and he began a 29 year career with Burroughs Business Machines. Jim and Marilyn and their 4 children (Diane, David, Scott and Ellen) lived many places as Jim was transferred and promoted to branches from St. John’s Newfoundland, Halifax, Sydney, Toronto and finally back to Saint John where he finished his career with Burroughs before going on to become a financial advisor with Investors Group. He thrived on the house visits with clients who became friends. His energy for the industry never flagged and his bright and optimistic outlook never wavered.
Jim was a joiner. He loved to be on committees and over the years he was very active in several groups and associations such as the ROTC, Scouts, Inter-School Christian Fellowship, United Empire Loyalists, St. Andrews Society, Saint John Deaf and Hard of Hearing Society, Historical Society, Genealogical Society, Masonic Lodge, Heart and Stroke, Liberal party, United Church of Canada. Jim was the recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee medal. Jim was passionate about his family tree and he did an immense amount of research into it before the internet made it easier.
He was a born salesman and even in his last month of life he wanted to go door to door selling tickets to the church supper.
His children, 11 grandchildren, great grandson and numerous nieces and nephews knew him not as a salesman though. To them he was the gentle and generous man who loved to cook steak over the fire and host enormous lobster boils. He was the kind father who rarely said no and whose support was unconditional. He was the good sport who, with equal pleasure, lost and won the daily games of cards. He was the loving father who would carry his sleeping children in from the car when they were young and displayed the same selfless attention to them as adults.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Reid’s Funeral Home (506-832-5541), 1063 Main Street, Hampton, NB. We will gather at Hampton United Church on Saturday, June 1, 2024 to remember Jim and to celebrate his life together. Charitable donations in Jim’s memory may be made to Hampton United Church or the charity of choice.
