Dolores E McKenzie

Dolores' parents, Percy Mair and Lestelle Chapman came to New York City in the early 1920's from Jamaica, W.I. in search of new opportunities.

However, the depression of the 1930's caused Lestelle to return to Jamaica with 2 year old Dolores. In Jamaica, Dolores grew up with the love and support of family and friends. She was a whiz at math which led to a position as a math teacher and then to a job as a bookkeeper for the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper.

Ultimately though, Jamaica was too small for Dolores. She returned to NYC when she was 23 years old and fell in love with the city, and especially Broadway and the skyscrapers. Her first job in NY was in the accounting department of the Lucky Strike Cigarette company. At her cousin Sybil's house party, she met her life partner, Joseph (Jay) McKenzie. They were married on July 4, 1953 in Bronx, NY and enjoyed 63 years together before Jay passed away in 2017.

Dolores was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. She was known as beloved Aunt Dell to her many nieces and nephews. She used her organizational and math skills to serve as Jay's business manager for his real estate business in Brooklyn, NY. When they moved to Florida, she used those skills once again to help her daughter, Carol, run her medical practice in Coral Springs.

Dolores loved reading, movies, music, live theater, crossword puzzles and sudoku, but most of all, she enjoyed playing dominoes with family and friends and spending time with her children, grandchildren and extended family. She kept everyone connected to our Jamaican heritage by baking and sending rum cake to her daughters at Christmas for many many years.

Dolores is survived by her four daughters, Carol, Diane, Joan and Marie, son-in-law George, and grandchildren, Jennifer, Christine, Philip, Karyn, Kayce, Eric, Ethan, Paul and Jonathan.

One of her favorite sayings was:

"Thoughtful words and winning smiles, smooth rough places, shorten miles."

Her beautiful, welcoming and kind smile will be missed, but remembered forever.

Thank you, Mama, for your winning smile and thoughtful words through the years.

Donations may be made to Missionaries of the Poor at missionariesofthepoor.org in memory of Mom.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestlawnnorth.com for the McKenzie family.