John W. McKenzie
John McKenzie Obituary
John W. McKenzie, Fort Atkinson, 89, died October 22nd, 2020.
John was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 25, 1931, the son of Basil and Helen (Sherman) McKenzie.
He attended St. Mary’s Grade School in Appleton, Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, and graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Menasha in 1949. After two years at Notre Dame John transferred to and graduated from St. John’s University in St. Cloud, MN in 1953. He then attended the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College, in Hanover, NH where he received his MBA in 1958.
From 1954 through 1957 John served in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps, and spent two of those years stationed in Germany.
On June 7, 1958 he married Maria (Wendy) Rising of Bloomfield Hills, MI.
Mr. McKenzie was employed at the First Wisconsin National Bank from 1958 through 1961, when he then moved to Appleton with his family to work with his father at Peoples Loan & Finance Co. In 1977 he sold the company and then started and served as the first president of Associated Bank of Appleton, a subsidiary of Associated Bancorp of Green Bay. In 1986 John moved to Fort Atkinson where he was elected president of the Bank of Fort Atkinson, a wholly owned subsidiary of WCN Bancorp of Wisconsin Rapids. Upon his plans to retire, the bank was sold to Johnson Bank in 1998, where he remained for a short time to help with the transition.
During his time in Appleton he was involved in various civic and business related activities, including the United Way, the Appleton Northside Business Association, Chairperson of the Outagamie County Strategic Planning Task Force, the Appleton Area School Board, the Appleton Redevelopment Authority, and as president of the Wisconsin Consumer Finance Association.
While in Fort Atkinson he was also involved in several community activities including the United Way, the Fort Atkinson Lions Club, the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation, the Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce, and was a founding member of the Tour de Fort Bicycle Club.
In addition to bicycling, in later years he enjoyed kayaking and cross country skiing, and trained for and skied the American Birkebeiner, a 51 kilometer race, annually for over 25 years. He completed his last full race at the age of 80, but skied the Kortelopet for two more years.
After retiring from Johnson Bank, John was involved for several years in the fund raising and construction of St. Joseph’s new church and school. He remained active in the Lions Club, Your Friends In Action, and served on the Johnson Bank of Fort Atkinson Advisory Board, the Jefferson County Human Services Board, and the Jefferson County Public Health Board. He was also active in the Glacial Heritage Area initiative and the Rock River Heritage project..
His greatest love and passion in life, however, was his wife Wendy, who constantly kept their focus on their faith, their children, their grandchildren, and their great grandchildren. His favorite bible verse was Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who hope in Yahweh renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles, they run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.”
John was predeceased by his parents, Helen and Basil McKenzie, and two siblings, Jim McKenzie and Helen Fieweger.
He is survived by one brother, Tom, and one sister, Mary Pownall, his wife Maria (Wendy), his sons and daughter in laws Bruce (Debbie), Jim (Therese), John (Jackie), and his daughters and son in laws Marie Sumnicht (Dan), Marianne Voetberg (Buzz), and Michele Ebben (Tom) along with 22 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. One grandchild, Julia, predeceased him in 2010.
Rather than flowers, John would prefer donations to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Atkinson or the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jefferson on Wednesday, October 28th, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. at the church until time of service. A luncheon will follow the service at the American Legion Dugout in Fort Atkinson.
www.dunlapmemorialhome.com
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Visitation
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
324 East North Street
Jefferson, Wisconsin 53549
Memorial Mass
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
11:00 AM
324 East North Street
Jefferson, Wisconsin 53549
Reception
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
American Legion Dugout201 S. Water Street E.
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538
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