Neil George Mackinnon

It is often said that no one remembers the ?also rans?, Neil George Mackinnon will be remembered fondly by all who knew him as the Champion he was. Born in Liverpool, England, on October 14th. 1924, one of eight siblings, his life was a challenge from early on. At 7 years old, Neil helped his older brother Bill, with a door to door business selling firewood often times working the route alone. The proceeds of which were added to the family budget.

Turning to the sea as a young man, he plied the world?s oceans starting as a deck hand and ultimately as a Chief Engineer.

In 1948, he married his beautiful neighbor, Muriel Isabella Bexon. Now married and considering starting a family, he decided that going to sea wasn?t conducive to a family man, that he needed more stable employment than being away for weeks, even months at a time.

Turning his engineering experience to good use, he returned to school and earned a Mechanical Engineering Degree. Working in both the automobile and aircraft industries, Neil and Muriel, along with three children, daughters Susan and Jayne and son Duncan, emigrated to the United States.

The Boeing Company was recruiting engineers and Neil took the chance to provide much greater opportunities for his family here in the US, again, ever the champion.

After settling in the north Seattle community of Edmonds, Neil continued to work for the Boeing Company while Muriel, a registered nurse worked at the local hospital at Stevens Memorial. His children attending school within the Edmonds school district.

Sometime in the early 1970?s Neil was intrigued by a Bagpipe band, the Keith Highlanders and made enquiries about joining. He was informed that to learn the pipes was a long arduous task of at least two years. It was considered a minimum of two years before anyone could expect to march in a parade with the band. Within six months of deciding to do so, Neil was marching in his first summer parade as a Keith Highlander.

Continued evidence of the Champion he was.

Neil took time in his summers learning to fly, taking lessons out of Paine Field in Everett.

He got many hours of pleasure flying over Puget Sound and across the landscape of the area he had come to call home. Once again the adventurer and still the Champion.

During a lull in the economy, Boeing saw fit to reduce its ranks and Neil put his musical talents to more good use. He had learned to play the electric organ and would entertain his guests at the frequent gatherings at his home, and teaching piano as a means of supplementing his income. Never letting setbacks get the better of him, getting a layoff simply turned him in a different direction. He had the heart of a champion.

Now in the late 1970s, Neil began putting more of his abilities to work and started building custom homes. With good designs from one of the Northwest?s premier architectural firms and great locations, he created some truly wonderful homes.

While completing one of his home building projects, Neil suffered his first major health setback and needed a quadruple bypass. Not one for being put down, he continued his life the way he always had, full of gusto. Continuing his role of Champion.

Finding a good buildable property in north Edmonds, Neil undertook the task of building his family a new home. With a view of water and mountains it was part of his long ago promise to his wife to provide her with such a view. Residing there for several years Neil and Muriel purchased an old Edmonds home in need of considerable renovation. This home put them much closer to downtown Edmonds, but still maintained Muriel?s view.

Throughout his life, Neil was equipped not only with a very good mathematical mind but also with a gift of the English language. He had an uncanny ability to write amazingly well and used this gift to teach a creative writing class at Edmonds Community College. He was quick witted and could create written scenes that came alive from the pages.

Some ten years after his first bypass, Neil was facing another similar surgery. This one forcing him into a semi-retired status. His unwillingness to give in to his health, as was his custom; he continued his life pursuing other endeavors. You would often find him in his garage sometimes just tinkering other times creating wonderful new things he had conjured up with an incredibly inventive mind. In the summer of 1998 while working on a new project he designed, to help improve anyone?s golf game, Neil suffered a stroke. This time the health setback was a major blow to this tiger, paralyzing him down one side. The stroke took his body partially away, but his sense of humor and zest for life was still very much within him. The Champion was still there, still rallying the troops around him.

On November 29th. 2002, Neil George Mackinnon passed away in his sleep to establish his place among the many great men and women who are waiting to receive him. Upon hearing of his passing, one of Neil?s Son-in-laws quipped, ?He is probably up there redesigning the Pearly Gates?. For those of us who knew Neil intimately, this was a fitting description of the man who has achieved more in one life time than any ten men combined. He will be missed greatly by us all. He was our ?Champion?.

Muriel, his wife of 54 years and his children, Susan, Jayne and Duncan, and his grand-children will think of him often, each of us remembering him as differently as we ourselves are. To all of us, he really was a ?Champion?.