Wendell C. “Jock” MacKenzie
Jock MacKenzie, 88, of Palm
Coast, Florida passed
away Monday, April 7 of pneumonia. He was born in Prince
Edward Island, Canada
on May 11, 1925, to Evelyn and Charles MacKenzie. Jock proudly served in the US
Army Infantry and fought in the Pacific Theater in World War II where he was
decorated with the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for Valor.
He was married to the late Genevieve MacKenzie in 1947 in Berlin, NH.
They lived in Berlin for several years and
then moved to Dover, NH
and resided there for many years before moving to Palm Coast, FL
in 1997. Jock was a sports radio broadcaster. He started his broadcasting
career with the Berlin Maroons hockey team. He worked for radio station WMOU.
He advanced to WTSN in Dover,
NH where he formed the University
Sports Network. He served as the voice of UNH hockey and football for over 35
years. He later donated the network to the University. He was a member of both
the UNH Sports Hall of Fame and Dover Sports Hall of Fame. He received the
prestigious Profile of Service Award from UNH. He also worked with members of
the Boston Celtics and the Boston Red Sox.
Jock received the
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Distinguished Service Award in 1959
and 1962. His career included management for radio stations WMOU in Berlin, NH, WTSN in Dover, NH
and retired in 1992 after becoming part owner of WTSN. His famous tagline at
WTSN was “Next to religion sports contributes more to the American way of life”.
He was named Dover Citizen of the Year by the Dover Chamber of Commerce for his
efforts to construct the original Dover
ice arena and received two keys to the city. He was inducted in the New
Hampshire Legends of Hockey in 2003.
In Palm
Coast, he wrote golf
columns for the Palm Coast Observer and the Flagler Palm Coast News Tribune
where he shared his passion for golf. He also worked closely with Grand Reserve
and The Grand Club and Cypress Knoll Golf Course doing promotion for the golf
courses. He also wrote his own online blog.
He is survived by four children Sally Horneck, (Craig) of
Saratoga Springs, NY; Wendy Allen of Bristol, RI; Scott MacKenzie (Judy Mazzella)
of Palm Coast, FL; and Mary Beth MacKenzie (Kathy Gerrity) of West Hills, CA; four
grandchildren Holly Fitzgerald, Todd Horneck, Thomas Allen, Caitlin Allen and
two great grandchildren Hunter Fitzgerald and Kailyn Horneck; His two sisters
Margaret Berry, Durham, NH, and Trudy (Clyde) MacDonald, N. Hampden ME. His
only brother Carl MacKenzie predeceased him. He will be missed by his many
friends and colleagues.
Services will be held on Tuesday, April 29 at Trinity
Presbyterian Church, 156 Florida
Park Drive, Palm Coast
at 11 AM. Services will be held at a later summer date in Dover, NH.
Burial will be at the Gerald
B. H.
Solomon Saratoga
National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to The
Friends of Men’s Ice Hockey, Donations can be mailed to The UNH Foundation
Inc., Elliott Alumni Center,
9 Edgewood Road, Durham, NH 03824. Condolences may be shared with
the family at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com.
Also, please see his online blog http://palmcoastflgolf.blogspot.com.
