Obituary of Hugh Duperow MacKenzie
DR. HUGH DUPEROW MACKENZIE
March 22, 1922 – November 27, 2018
It is with great sorrow that we, his family, announce the passing of our beloved Hugh on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 in Regina. He was an inspiration to us and his memory is a blessing. Hugh was predeceased by his parents Alex and Emma MacKenzie; his brothers Don and Jack and their wives Evelyn and Maxine; Lois’ parents Goldie and William Balfour; and brother-in-law Gordon Balfour. Hugh is survived by his loving wife Lois of 62 years; son Doug (Shelley), daughter Sue Burns (Terry); eight wonderful grandchildren: Melanie (Ty), Brendan (Nicole), Preston (Marilyn), Josh (Moira), and Brady (Preston), Jenna (Lance), Connor, and Mack; great-grandchildren: Lily Grace, Ruby Rose, Camden Hugh, and Hewitt; sisters-in-law, Yvonne MacKenzie and Lucille Balfour; six very special nieces and nephews; as well as sixteen loving great nieces and nephews, and fourteen great-great nieces and nephews.
Hugh attended public and high school in Regina, then graduated from the School of Optometry of Ontario affiliated with the University of Toronto. He spent two years in the army medical corps as an Optometrist. He established his Optometry practice in April 1947, retiring in December 1992. His 43 year partnership with Jack Huber went beyond work, as the families remain close to this day.
Hugh was very devoted to his profession – he was a past President of both the Saskatchewan and Canadian Associations of Optometry. A highlight of his career was accompanying four students from the graduating class at the School of Optometry, University of Waterloo to the Island of Dominca to examine the eyes of school children. In 1975 he was invited to that same school as a visiting Professor for a semester. Hugh was awarded the Canadian Association of Optometry Presidential Award – the highest award in Optometry.
Hugh was also very active in the community. He served on the Senate of the University of Regina. He was president of the Executives Association of Regina, The Regina Golf Club, and the Wascana Winter Club. He was a member of the Kinsmen Club, Regina Rotary Club, Assiniboine Club, and the Wascana Country Club. He was a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, and a member of the WA Wa Shrine, as well as being a member of Sunset United Church.
Hugh had three main passions in life. The first being his wife Lois and their family, his friends, and the people he worked with. The second was the cottage at Regina Beach. The third was golf, which he started playing at age 10 and continued to play until he was about 91. He shot his age on three different occasions and had 5 holes in 1. After retirement in 1995, Hugh wrote his memoir “WAS GRANDPA ALWAYS OLD”. In recent years, he found great solace in his faith and trusted deeply in the presence of the Spirit of God in his life. Perhaps his most lasting legacy is to value the important things (the people you love), to appreciate the little things (the beauty of the earth or a word of thanks), and to enjoy the simple things (a hotdog and a Pilsner on the deck in the sunshine). Hugh has left the world a better place than he found it, he has had a life well lived.
A Celebration of Hugh’s Life will be held at Westminster United Church, 3025 13th Avenue, on Friday, December 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Parking will be available in the parking lot of Holy Rosary Cathedral. In lieu of flowers and in Honour of Hugh’s love of children and animals please consider a donation in Hugh’s memory to: the Kids First Day Care Centre Inc., 1069 14th Ave East, Regina, SK S4N 0T8 or the Regina Humane Society, Box 3143 Regina, SK, S4P 3G7.
