Dan Douglas MacKenzie of Hermiston passed away in Hermiston on July 6, 2021 at the age of 76.
He was born on Nov. 14, 1944 in Hanford, Wash. to Ian and June (Helyer) MacKenzie.
Dan grew up in Kennewick, Wash. and graduated from Kennewick High School in the class of 1963. At the age of 11, he made his confession of Christian faith and was baptized along with his father, Ian MacKenzie. While in high school, he played trombone in the award-winning Kennewick Lions Marching Band and Kennewick Dance Band. After high school, he attended Whitman College in Walla Walla for one year. He then transferred to the University of Washington, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in history. He moved to Philadelphia, Pa. for a short time, where he worked as a young adult librarian. He then attended Northwest Christian College (now Bushnell University), where he met Vicki. Dan married Vicki Spinning on July 11, 1970 in the First Christian Church in Chehalis, Wash. Dan attended Phillips Seminary in Enid, Okla., where he completed his master’s degree in divinity. He was ordained in the Disciples of Christ Church and took a pastoral job in Othello, Wash. He later returned to college at the University of Oregon, where he received his master’s degree in library science.
Dan and Vicki served churches in Okeene and Mutual, Okla., Othello, Wash., Myrtle Creek and Springfield. In 1982, Dan took a job as a media and telecommunications specialist at La Grande High School. He moved to Hermiston in 1983 and began working in the library at Armand Larive Middle School. He later transferred to Sandstone Middle School, where he continued his library work. He retired from the Hermiston School District in 2009.
Dan enjoyed reading, working with computers, listening to classic radio shows, jazz and swing music, and following the University of Oregon and University of
Washington sports. He was a member of New Hope Community Church in Hermiston.
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Vicki; son, Gordon Scott (Kenzie) MacKenzie and their daughter, Exandria; son, Christopher Glen MacKenzie; brother, Larry (Bonnie) MacKenzie; sister, Kathi MacKenzie-Foster and her daughter, Delancey Foster; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 24 at 1 p.m. at New Hope Community Church, 1350 S. Highway 395, Hermiston.
A private family interment will be in the Hermiston Cemetery.
If you would like to make a donation in Dan’s name, you can give to New Hope Community Church, Samaritan’s Purse, or to the GoFundMe for his family at gofundme.com/f/DanMacKenzie.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please go to burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
