John Gordon Mackie

John Gordon Mackie of Buchanan, Michigan passed away peacefully at Essentia Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota on September 10th, 2019 at the age of 78 with two of his daughters and one of his sons by his side. A celebration of life service will be held at 3 pm on Monday, September 16, 2019 at Faith United Methodist Church, 728 N. Detroit St., Buchanan, MI with Pastor Edward H. Slate officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Buchanan. Visitation will be held from 5-7 pm on Sunday, September 15, 2019 at Swem Chapel, 301 W. Front St., Buchanan and one hour prior to the service from 2-3 at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the John Mackie Memorial Fund to be utilized towards youth programs in Buchanan, yet to be determined. Those wishing to send a condolence online may do so at www.swemchapel.com. Born in Detroit, Michigan on November 25th, 1940 to Mary and Alexander Mackie, John was the older of two boys and split time between the city and the country. His summers during his formative years were spent on the farm his uncle, Ray Mensen, owned in Algonac, Michigan. It was there he learned not only the value of hard work, but also his love for nature and animals as well as hunting and fishing that would stick with him for the rest of his life. Following high school, John attended Western Michigan University, earning a degree in Education. It was at WMU that he would meet the love of his life, Janet Mann, and as the story was told many years later, they agreed to marry each other the day they met. The wedding took place in Buchanan, Michigan in June of 1966, and in 1967 the growing family left Kalamazoo for Schaumburg, Illinois, before eventually landing in Crystal Lake, Illinois in 1972 where John was hired as a biology teacher. It was in Crystal Lake where a majority of John’s professional and family life took place. As a football coach John attended coaching camps with legendary college coaches like Bear Bryant and Joe Paterno. The opportunity soon arose for him to coach at the college level, but he turned it down, as he could not bring himself to be away from his soon-to-be six children on recruiting trips. Instead John stayed in Crystal Lake and, along with football, helped out the wrestling and track programs. Eventually, he would become Dean of Students. He went on to become Vice Principal of the then brand new Crystal Lake South High School in 1978. By 1987 he would be chosen as the Principal of Crystal Lake Central High School, and maintained the position while 3 of his children attended. At each of their graduations, he insisted on being the one to hand them their diplomas. John also had the opportunity to open a brand new high school in Crystal Lake named Prairie Ridge where he would be the school’s first Principal. Through three decades of teaching in the Crystal Lake area, John would have a huge impact on several generations of students and teachers. Following his retirement in 1999, John and Janet moved to the state of Washington, where they spent their winters. Summers were reserved for one of their favorite places on earth: their cabin in the woods on Lost Land Lake outside Hayward, Wisconsin. An avid hunter and fisherman, John simply could not get enough of nature. While retired from teaching, John took jobs at a salmon hatchery and a Christmas tree farm, simply as a means of expanding his knowledge. After 10 years, however, the two decided they needed to be back in Michigan, and moved to Buchanan. John’s love of teaching secondary education simply never left him, and he found himself substitute teaching at Buchanan High School. Over the course of several years, he would once again have an immeasurable impact on countless students and teachers. John is preceded in death by his wife, Janet, his son, Scott Mackie, and his brother, Paul Mackie. He is survived by his brother-in-law Richard Mann, sister-in-law Jodean Mann, sister-in-law Phyllis Mackie, five children, Pamela (Dan) Malott, Sherri (Brian) Martinie, Jerry Mackie, Stephanie (Paulie) Santos, and Mark (Abby) Mackie, nephew Michael Mann, nieces Barbara Mann and Lindsay Mackie, and 16 grandchildren.