Katharine B. Mackay

Katharine Brown MacKay (Katy or KT) died on September 30, 2014, and will be laid to rest on Friday, April 17, 2015 at the Ogdensburgh Cemetery. Katy attended St. Lawrence University and served on their Board of Trustees until just before her death.

Surmounting the challenges of a 1967 automobile accident that left her without the use of her legs, Katy graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1970. She subsequently carved for herself an extraordinary Public Service career, beginning in the Human Services Division of the State of Massachusetts, followed by the Budget Division of the State of New York during the state’s fiscal crisis in the mid-seventies. She retired as Assistant Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey after serving nearly a quarter of a century over three administrations.

She served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Council of Governing Boards of CICU, and as Chair of Nominating Committee of the Board. She also served as a member and past Chair of a women’s investment partnership (WITS).

She served on the Board of Directors of her building cooperative, the Advisory Board of Hostelling International-New York, the Advisory Council for the Disabled for the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, the Governor’s Advisory Council on the Disabled, and as a charter member of the Center for Women in Government in Albany.

As an alumna of St. Lawrence, she was a member of the Alumni Executive Council, reunion development committees, President’s Associates Membership Committee, planning co-chair for her 30th, 35th and 40th class reunions, Laurentian Singers reunion co-chair, and career advisor. She established the Katy MacKay University Fellowship Fund to support student research. Katy was elected an Alumni Trustee in 1986 and a Term Trustee in 1992. Among her trustee leadership roles was chairmanship of the Student Life Committee, the former Information Technology Committee, and the former Planning Committee. Most of all, she loved meeting students, especially mentoring student delegates and helping them understand the responsibility of their roles.

Katy is descended from New York’s North Country Madill family, as the great-granddaughter of Dr. Grant C. Madill and Lucia James Madill. Dr. Madill was a trustee of St Lawrence University, and is also buried in the Madill family plot in the Ogdensburgh Cemetery.

Katy is survived by her brother Robert T. MacKay, Jr., born in Watertown, NY, currently living in Los Angeles.

Services will be held graveside at the Ogdensburgh Cemetery on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 12:00 noon.

Local arrangements handled by Fox & Murray Funeral Home.