Shirley Racine (McKenzie) Mackley

Shirley Racine McKenzie was born on February 12th, 1931, in Calexico, California; the first child of Mary Mildred Roesberry McKenzie and Victor Clyde McKenzie. She had beautiful blue eyes and golden-brown hair. At the early age of 4, she starred in her first ballet performance as Violet in Peter Pan’s Garden. Her love of dancing continued; she performed in many recitals and advanced to ballerina. She passed this love of dance on to her children.

She was baptized by her “Daddy” (this is how she always referred to him) on July 18th, 1939. After her dad joined the church, by her choice, she waited for him to receive the Aaronic Priesthood so he could baptize her.

Shirley often spoke of her happy childhood and the love she had for her parents and siblings; they held a special place in her heart.

She graduated from West High School in Salt Lake City on June 2, 1949. She worked for Bell Telephone and was then called on a stake mission to Boise, Idaho on July 31, 1950. She married Delbert Jay Mackley on May 13, 1954 in the Logan Temple for time and all eternity. They had a loving marriage that spanned 57 years, until Delbert passed away in 2011. They were blessed with 11 children: Jay Del Mackley (Jeri), La Grande, OR; Susan Racine Mackley (deceased); James Seth Mackley (Nancy), Bonney Lake, WA; Patricia Lynn Christensen (Stewart), Ellensburg, WA; Steven Paul Mackley (Mary), Tigard, OR; LeAnn Racine Stephan (Gerald), Troutdale, OR; Debra Kay Monson (E. Scott), Union, OR; Scott Clyde Mackley (Lisa), Mt. Washington, KY; Alice Mary Smithson (Gabriel), Morristown, TN; David Allen Mackley (Zubaida), Gresham, OR; and Edward Charles Mackley, Portland, OR; 39 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren. Shirley has been reunited with her husband, Delbert; daughter, Susie; her parents, Mildred & Victor; brother Roger McKenzie, sisters Ella Mackley and Judith Reed, and great-grandchildren Vincent Mackley and Charlotte Pierson. She is survived by her sister Victoria McKenzie Thompson (Boise, ID), brother Jeff McKenzie (West Valley City, UT), sisters in-law Melva J. McKenzie (Mountain Home, ID), Kathleen Mackley Hunter (Kuna, ID), and brother in-law George Mackley (Ivins, UT).

Her life revolved around family and her membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was an amazing mother with 11 children and yet, somehow managed to serve the Lord through many positions in the church.

She took the job of being a mother very seriously – making breakfast every morning, and dinner was enjoyed together around the table every night. She kept a clean house, doling out chores to each child regardless of age. She made sure we went to school, church, primary, seminary, and mutual. She sewed many of our clothes and taught her daughters to sew as well. The family spent many fun days on the Oregon coast as she loved the beach and walking barefoot in the sand. Shirley always had time for her children; they could come to her and talk, even if it were late and she was already in bed.

Shirley was never one to sit idle. If she was sitting, her hands were busy with crocheting, quilting, cross stitch, or embroidery. Many of these items were given as gifts to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Shirley had a “bucket List” of things she wanted to do. She always wanted to go to Hawaii. As a 25th wedding anniversary gift, her children pooled their money to send them to Hawaii. In her journal, she wrote that although they enjoyed themselves, she was excited to get home to the kids.

Shirley and Delbert spoke often of serving a mission for the church together. In 1997, they were called to serve in Oklahoma and served for 2 years.

Finishing her college degree was important to her. She told her daughter Patti that she “didn’t want to die stupid.” This was a time before online classes, and as she lived in Woodland, Washington at the time, the only way to do this was through correspondence courses. She fulfilled this dream and graduated from Brigham Young University in 2000 at the age of 69 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts.

Shirley was proud of her Scottish heritage and wanted to visit Scotland. Her son and daughter-in-law, Jay and Jeri, made that dream come true when they all traveled to Scotland and visited several places in Europe.

Her dream of a family history trip was a highlight in her life when she and her sister Vickie traveled the countryside together, prowling cemeteries and giving away “real” potatoes – which only come from Idaho, of course.

Another item on her list was to attend an LDS General Conference in person. Shirley and her son, Jim, travelled to Salt Lake City in October 2014. Jim remembers that upon entering the LDS Conference Center, the guards searched her especially well because of the metal in her knees.

A family cruise in 2016 satisfied her dream of being on a big boat, standing on the deck, looking over the ocean and feeling the wind on her face.

She always wanted to go to Nauvoo on a church history tour, which was planned for last summer, but due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions it was canceled.

Early in the morning of January 25th, 2021 in Troutdale, Oregon, Shirley left this life. Her family takes comfort in knowing they will be reunited someday.

Video link to images http://jaymackley.com/family/ShirleySlidePresentation.mp4