Obituary for Roger Donald Mackay
Roger Donald Mackay of Medfield died Tuesday, February 23, 2022 having lived a full life as a husband, father, and mentor. He is survived by his wife Nancy Fischer Mackay. He was preceded in death by his first wife Alice Guggenheimer Mackay.
Born in in Milton, Massachusetts to Roger Daniel Mackay and Hildegarde Anderson Mackay, Roger spent his childhood in Dorchester, on military posts in Oregon and Georgia, and then in Italy where his father was posted to lead US occupying forces after World War II. Roger graduated from Dorchester High School in 1951 and MIT in 1955 with a degree in civil engineering. His Sigma Nu fraternity brothers remained life-long friends. His ROTC training led to commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army; he subsequently served in Germany from 1955-1957.
Following his honorable discharge, he met Alice on a blind date; they married several months later and settled in greater Boston. Roger and Alice moved to Westwood and raised their children, Daniel and Susan. Lynchburg, VA, relatives, and the families of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Westwood were centerpieces of his social life. Bridge, tennis, skiing, golf, reading and crosswords in pen were avid avocations. The center of Roger’s professional life was the Carlson Corporation, based in Cochituate, for whom he managed numerous construction projects in the Northeast and in the Middle East.
Several years after Alice’s death from cancer in 1988, a second blind date introduced Roger to Nancy Fischer of Needham, MA. Their subsequent marriage blended two families and brought stepchildren and grandchildren immediately into Roger’s life. Roger and Nancy enjoyed many years of travel, steadfast companionship, and family gatherings in Westport. Engaging and encouraging his nieces, nephews and grandchildren in their studies, interests, travels and careers was a further joy of Roger’s retirement years.
Roger is additionally survived by his children and stepchildren: R. Daniel Mackay and Jean Mackay (Schodack Landing, NY), Susan Mackay Roberts and Mike Roberts (Rockland, MA), David Fischer and Carol O’Connor Fischer (Medfield, MA), Kristen Fischer and Peter Durnan (Holderness, NH), grandchildren: Jonah Mackay (Washington, D.C.), J. Bennett Mackay (Pasadena, CA), Bridget Fischer and Anthony Kenna (Australia), Jay Fischer and Maria Manis (Brooklyn, NY), Paul Fischer (Brooklyn, NY), Emery Durnan and James Abrahamsen (Waltham, MA), Hannah Durnan and Beth Derr (Boston, MA), and great grandchild Cooper Kenna (Australia)
The family would like to thank the staff at Thomas Upham House in Medfield and from the Lowell Wing at Care One in Newton for their kind attention to and care for Roger this past year.
A memorial service will be held at the Dover Church, 17 Springdale Ave, Dover, MA 02030 at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 12.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made in Roger’s memory to The Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, 41 Berkley Street, Boston, MA 02116 (attention: Development Office) or to The Dover Church’s project work with Health Equity International in Haiti. Donations may be made care of The Dover Church, 17 Springdale Ave, Dover, MA 02030, or the charity of your choice.
Born in in Milton, Massachusetts to Roger Daniel Mackay and Hildegarde Anderson Mackay, Roger spent his childhood in Dorchester, on military posts in Oregon and Georgia, and then in Italy where his father was posted to lead US occupying forces after World War II. Roger graduated from Dorchester High School in 1951 and MIT in 1955 with a degree in civil engineering. His Sigma Nu fraternity brothers remained life-long friends. His ROTC training led to commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army; he subsequently served in Germany from 1955-1957.
Following his honorable discharge, he met Alice on a blind date; they married several months later and settled in greater Boston. Roger and Alice moved to Westwood and raised their children, Daniel and Susan. Lynchburg, VA, relatives, and the families of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Westwood were centerpieces of his social life. Bridge, tennis, skiing, golf, reading and crosswords in pen were avid avocations. The center of Roger’s professional life was the Carlson Corporation, based in Cochituate, for whom he managed numerous construction projects in the Northeast and in the Middle East.
Several years after Alice’s death from cancer in 1988, a second blind date introduced Roger to Nancy Fischer of Needham, MA. Their subsequent marriage blended two families and brought stepchildren and grandchildren immediately into Roger’s life. Roger and Nancy enjoyed many years of travel, steadfast companionship, and family gatherings in Westport. Engaging and encouraging his nieces, nephews and grandchildren in their studies, interests, travels and careers was a further joy of Roger’s retirement years.
Roger is additionally survived by his children and stepchildren: R. Daniel Mackay and Jean Mackay (Schodack Landing, NY), Susan Mackay Roberts and Mike Roberts (Rockland, MA), David Fischer and Carol O’Connor Fischer (Medfield, MA), Kristen Fischer and Peter Durnan (Holderness, NH), grandchildren: Jonah Mackay (Washington, D.C.), J. Bennett Mackay (Pasadena, CA), Bridget Fischer and Anthony Kenna (Australia), Jay Fischer and Maria Manis (Brooklyn, NY), Paul Fischer (Brooklyn, NY), Emery Durnan and James Abrahamsen (Waltham, MA), Hannah Durnan and Beth Derr (Boston, MA), and great grandchild Cooper Kenna (Australia)
The family would like to thank the staff at Thomas Upham House in Medfield and from the Lowell Wing at Care One in Newton for their kind attention to and care for Roger this past year.
A memorial service will be held at the Dover Church, 17 Springdale Ave, Dover, MA 02030 at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 12.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made in Roger’s memory to The Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, 41 Berkley Street, Boston, MA 02116 (attention: Development Office) or to The Dover Church’s project work with Health Equity International in Haiti. Donations may be made care of The Dover Church, 17 Springdale Ave, Dover, MA 02030, or the charity of your choice.