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John passed away peacefully, with his sisters close by his side, at Ed’s House Hospice in Cobourg on Saturday, February 22, 2025. He was 72 years old. Beloved husband of Sheila Church and dear brother of Elizabeth MacKenzie (Bruce), Suzan MacKenzie, Sharon MacKenzie (Alex), the late Ron MacKenzie (Janice) and the late Andrew MacKenzie. Admired uncle of David (Natasha), Justin, Conor (Hilary), Dylan, Lucy (Geoff), Alice (Shane), Max (Claire), Alexis, Michelle, and great uncle of Sasha, Alisa, Zoe, Leith, Tayla, Maisy, Sidra, Sadhbh, Delilah and Daphne. Predeceased by his parents, Freeman MacKenzie and Cecile Frenette.
John was a very hard-working and well-respected construction coordinator in the film industry for 30 years. He loved what he did and he did it well.
John’s family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the many excellent health care providers and Personal Support Workers (PSWs) who assisted John over the past two years as he struggled with his health. And a special thank you to Amy Gowland (our unicorn) and her family, as well as all of John’s wonderful neighbours and friends who provided generous support and comfort.
We would also like to acknowledge the wonderful staff at Ed’s House Hospice-–who ensured that John (and his family) were wonderfully supported and cared for during his last days.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to John’s charity of choice: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders, which provides medical humanitarian assistance for people in crisis around the world. Please choose “In memory of” in the “Gift Options” section, with John MacKenzie as “Honouree.” To ensure John’s family is notified of your donation, please select “Send an e-card” to Elizabeth MacKenzie as “Recipient” at: eliza.macken@gmail.com.
A private family service will be held in Toronto, followed by a Celebration of Life at the beginning of April. Please contact the family for further information.
Hearing such news hurt deeply. John was an associate, a friend and a neighbor for many years. We will miss John.............we will miss John.
I had the pleasure of working with John several times throughout my career. If I learned that John was going to be the Construction Coordinator on a project I was on, I knew my job would be a lot easier. He was one of the best.
I'm so sorry to hear of Johns passing. Brad and I have so much respect for what he accomplished in film production and for the health and safety of his fellow workers. When he and Sheila moved to the Warkworth area, we enjoyed getting together so much. John was passionate about their farm, the surrounding nature, the garden, renovating to conserve energy and I remember him planting many, many trees. Rest in peace John. Condolences to the family.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
My condolences to Sheila and all of John's family. I am privileged to have known him. Rest in peace John.
Condolences to John & Sheila’s family on their loss. I worked for John in the late 90’s with the rest of the crew from the East Coast. John & Sheila truly treated us like family. Even when we weren’t working on his movies he would always check in on us & make sure we were taken care of. He was truly one of the good guys.
So sorry to hear of John’s passing. I have never forgotten his and Sheila’s kindness and generosity during our work in the movie industry in NS and Ontario. Sincere condolences.
My condolences to the family and friends of John. John and Shiela were so nice to "the Nova Scotia boys" when we came to Toronto to work in film in the late 90's. RIP John
Always had the greatest respect for John. Appreciated his love for home restorations, and his calm demeanor on the job. You will be missed, rest in peace Brother.
Lovely man. Generous, calm and patient
My deepest condolences to John's family. I had the privilege of working with him for many years. Since his retirement, I have found myself saying many, many times "I miss John Mackenzie!" He was the best at what he did and kept us all healthy and safe. He was a true gentleman and a kind soul. Rest in Peace John. Thank you for everything.
Miss you John.
Im Sheila's Brother.. I Had The Pleasure Of Knowing John..Such a Grounded Man..On My Trips Back To Ontario i Would Drop In On Him And Sheila..Loved The Stories About Movie Sets And The Work Behind The Builds.
John’s intelligence and honesty where only surpassed by his heart. He was a good man and a great leader who cared for all who worked with him. John loved his job. I hope God has put aside a construction project he can oversee. I am grateful for having known such and honourable man.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
Hello and my deepest condolences to the entire MacKenzie family. John was a very dear colleague for many years. As the Set Decorator, John and I collaborated on Robocop, Total Recall, RED, Finding Forrester, Talk to Me all the way back to Cagney and Lacey. He was forever kind to me and the set dec team, patient and a very clever problem solver. John always found the humor in even the craziest requests. Of which of course there were many! Rest in Peace John...you will be missed and you will always have a place in my heart.
My heartfelt condolences to John’s family and close friends. John will always be remembered for his kindness and generosity during my years in IATSE. I’ll never forget the bond we shared over The Scarlet Letter, which he worked on in my hometown of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, back in the ’90s. John always looked out for others— knowing how much I cared about health and safety in our industry he gave me all of his old film industry safety books when we were on the movie Shazam,. He also provided me with employment on several A-list films during my time and even gave me my very first office space in the film business. JMAC, you will be deeply missed.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
I have many good memories of John over the years I worked with him. He was always easy to deal with and hard working. I’m sorry for all his family and friends for their loss. I truly hope the years he had away from the business were wonderful as that is what he deserved. I’m sure he will be missed❤️
John was always happy and calm. Two amazing qualities in the film business. Will forever be missed
Sending love and condolences to John’s family❤️
Our condolences to John’s family and friends. I had the pleasure of working alongside John on some productions over the years. Always a pleasure and many laughs with him and his team. RIP brother Johnnie Mac . God bless to family.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
My t deepest sympathies to johns family and close friends. His ability to accommodate other dept. needs with a smile and understanding helped me considerably as a bestboy lighting guy always made me feel important. He as a union brother will be remembered Sam
I will always remember John fondly as a kind,fair, and honest man who was always gracious and calm. He had a truly caring nature about him that made you feel seen and respected. He was the first coordinator I worked for and he set the bar high. RIP, you will be missed.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
I am so sorry to hear of John’s passing. I fondly remember John’s ready smile and kind heart. He was wonderful to work with, always finding the humor in the most stressful moments. He was a devoted husband to his beautiful Sheila. You all are in my prayers during this sad time. Melissa Morgan
….From my heart, condolences to entire family.
Johnny Mack— he became a mentor to all of us, new to the business at Hot Sets so very very green. It was such an honour to later work alongside on one of his shows. The crew was his number one priority; always had your back, always created a safe environment in which to work and be able to enjoy the work. As much as it was an honour to work on his shows it was more so to be able to call he and Sheila dear friends. Already missing you. Jo
Sorry to hear of John’s passing. I did not know he wasn’t well. Always enjoyed working with him.
I consider myself fortunate to have worked on a number of shows with John. He was one of the best!! I always looked forward to sharing stories and a laugh or two. My condolences to the family for their loss
From Hot Sets to ACFC to 873. John was a rock of sanity and talent. A fine example of caring about the work and the workers.He will be missed, he has been missed since he retired, temper, calm, intellect and all. My sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones.
My Deepest condolences. John started me in a career of Health and Safety. John always cared for the Workers and prioritized their Health and Safety. John was a leader in the industry and made the working conditions better. He will be greatly missed.
My sincere condolences 🙏🏻. John was a great man. So sad to hear this news. R.I.P John. Jeff Benedetti
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
Remembering you and how much fun we had on the shows we did together. You are missed, my friend. Hugs to you always.
Our heartfelt condolences for your profound loss. May you find comfort in the support of friends and family.
My deepest & most sincere condolences to the family to John see you on the other side my brother save me a seat
You raised the bar Johnny Mack! Thank you brother and my condolences to the family.✨💖✨
I remember John professionally working in the film industry. He was a construction coordinator in a class of his own.
Very sorry to hear of John's passing. He was a kind, thoughtful man who was admired and respected by so many of us in IA. May his memory be a blessing.💙
Worked with and alongside John for many years in 873 always a professional and outstanding member of the Union. Rest in Peace.
One of the best construction coordinators I ever had the privilege of working with. My deepest condolences to the family.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
Sorry for your loss. I had the privilege of working with John for many years. John always treated everyone in the workplace with respect and dignity. John MacKenzie was a gentleman.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
Always a good friend always appreciated. Rest in peace
My deepest sympathies . John and I worked on many movies together and I had the utmost respect and admiration for John. He was a dedicated professional and adept at his craft. We shared many laughs together and I always appreciated his attention to the detail of his builds that made my job as sound mixer much easier. RIP John
I worked with John for many years. It's a sad day, however John did many great things for Toronto's film industry and will be remembered for them.
Being a close friend of one of John's sisters, Elizabeth, I have heard about John. Though I didn't ever get to meet him, I know that he loved his work and his family. We're sending our thoughts and care to your extended family during this time of grieving and gathering in honour of John.
John was an exceptionally kind and considerate man. He set the benchmark for what one hopes for in a Construction Coordinator. I too worked alongside him. When we worked on a show together I left hoping his name would appear on the next one. He was that special. He was that integral. He will be missed by all that knew him.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
I am so heartbroken to hear of the passing of this most amazing man. John was my construction coordinator on 13 projects between 2004 - 2017. He was a kind, caring person and a great leader & teacher with an exceptional talent. John will be missed terribly. My deepest condolences to all of John's family and friends. Keep him forever in your hearts through all your amazing memories. I know I will.
I would like to offer my condolences to John’s family. John was a very sweet soul and I truly enjoyed listening to his stories about his life.
My sincere condolences to the family. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
My condolences to the family. John was such a lovely man to know, he will be deeply missed by many. I looked forward to all of our visits together, he always had a story and always made you laugh.
Barb and I would like to extend our condolences to Sharon and the entire Family on the passing of John. May you all find comfort in your many memories of John. God bless!
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
Sending good wishes to your family… it has been an intense journey for John and all of you. May he rest in peace and may all of you find peace in his passing. Much love, Cyndy Chwelos
We are very much saddened by the death of our dear cousin and friend, John(nie) MacKenzie. May the spirit of Red Wing fly through us all. Love, Sheilah and Rod(die)
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Doctors Without Borders
All of us at IATSE 873 were lucky to have John in our lives. He brought health and safety to the forefront. I was privileged to work beside him from 2004 until the day he retired. More importantly I cherish the friendship and bond we developed over the years. You will be missed JMacK
So sorry to hear of John's death. He was one of the good guys and I truly enjoyed my time working with him. He will be missed.
John was the last of the great coordinators in Canada. He was also the last coordinator who cared for his crew and took care of all of us. John will go down in Canadian history as the best boss in the film industry You are missed by everyone who worked for you, and with you. You always got it done.
John was my boss for about 12 years. He was loved by us all. He was respected by all of us as well. My deepest sympathies. Please let me know about a future celebration of life, his is worthy of a great one. Thankyou,M
I would like to send my sympathy to John family and friends, I knew John for over 30 years I had the pleasure to work with him on a few movies and television series John was a respected member of our union he was a good man.
John was an absolute gem to be with. Always took time to help with work or personal problems. A true gentleman. Our hearts and thoughts are with you.
John was an anchor in IA’s construction department, well respected, competent beyond measure. More, a wonderful person, direct, respectful, thoughtful. In the depths of my family’s loss and trauma, when we could hardly breathe, John immediately extended bridge of personal and emotional compassion and financial support. I am a better person for knowing him, and appreciate beyond words how he moved in our lives.
My sincere Condolences to the MacKenzie Clan. John was a valued member of the Theatre and Film community. He was one of the very best.