John Donald Mackenzie
Born 14 March 1935
Died 4 January 2013
FORMER Healesville CFA captain John Mackenzie was introduced to fire-fighting during his National Service training.
His experience fighting fires at Scrub Creek and Puckapunyal led to more than 50 years of service to the CFA as a volunteer with Montrose and Healesville brigades.
His outstanding contribution was celebrated at a testimonial dinner in December last year when he was presented with Life Memberships of the CFA and Healesville Fire Brigade, and commemorated at a thanksgiving service for his life on 11 January 2013.
Born in Richmond in 1935, John Donald Mackenzie was the elder of Donald and Thelma Mackenzie’s two boys.
With his younger brother Peter, he grew up on a poultry farm in Springvale and attended the local primary school.
Sadly, his mother died when he was just 11 years old.
John excelled at primary school and at technical school where he completed a trade course in carpentry and was consistently dux of his classes.
He valued education and as a parent he served for more than two decades on committees at Mooroolbark Technical School, including a number of years as president of the school council.
In his late teens he worked with young people and became a lay preacher. Pastoral ministry was a tenant throughout his life.
He married his first wife, Olive Jenkins, in 1956 and they shared 52 years of marriage, raising six children – Stephen, Mark, Suzanne, Maree, James and Jonathan.
John and Olive raised their family in Montrose and, in 1962, he joined Montrose Fire Brigade where he progressed from Apparatus Officer to 2nd Lieutenant over the 20 years he served including the transition from rural to urban brigade in 1968.
His practical and administration skills were invaluable at a time when brigades were responsible for everything from protective clothing and radios to station maintenance and training.
In the mid- ’70s he bought out Langman Veneers in Healesville, an operation which produced fine veneers from native timbers including Victorian ash, Tasmanian oak and various other local species.
All the timber veneers in Nauru House in Melbourne were produced by John in the factory in Old Lilydale Road which had previously been the Hollandia shoe factory and was only recently demolished.
The timber was shipped from Nauru and custom sliced.
The business closed following changes to logging allocation laws.
The family moved to Healesville came in 1983 and, with brigade service very much in his blood, he transferred to Healesville Fire Brigade on 5 September 1983. He was appointed 1st Lieutenant in 1989 and within eight months he took over as captain and led the brigade for 11 years.
His captaincy was marked by his 100 per cent commitment to the brigade and its members where he was seen as a mentor, trainer, confidant and a mate, but ultimately as a respected and revered leader; one who never missed a brigade night.
He also served as 1st Deputy Group Officer and later Group Officer with the Maroondah Fire Brigade Group for four years.
On retiring from the captaincy in 2002 John took on the demanding dual role of secretary and treasurer.
John was a great support to his successor, Captain Graeme Bates, who had the honour of presenting him with his brigade life membership.
Capt Bates spoke then of John’s dedication saying as a local business operator working for himself, he was on call 24/7.
“He was all for it, from the very start, to the end, the whole 50 years,” he said.
John’s son Stephen, in a moving eulogy, said his father was pleased to be able to attend the final brigade meeting for 2012 just a few days after the testamonial dinner at which he received his life memberships as well as the third bar of the National Medal for diligent service and his 50 year CFA long service clasp.
He said his father was a strong man, both physically and mentally, characteristics which were evident when in early 2008 he conducted the funeral service for his beloved Olive.
The recurring qualities in tributes delivered by CFA representatives including Captain Bates, Regional Manager Dave Baker and Executive Director of Volunteerism and Training Lex de Man were integrity, dignity, resourcefulness and an uncompromising commitment to the CFA, his brigades and his communities.
In 2009 John married Lucy Willms. The following year he purchased a cattle property at Yarck providing him with an all-to-brief opportunity, cut short by cancer, to indulge his love of farming.
John was buried at Yarck on 11 January, with a send off which included a convoy of fire trucks and guard of honour from his CFA colleagues.
A thanksgiving service at Liberty Family Church followed, attended by family, friends and CFA representatives.
He is survived by Lucy, his six children, 16 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
