John Mackay

John Calder Mackay

Apr 20, 1920 - Nov 21, 2014

John C. Mackay, born in Salt Lake City on April 26, 1920, was the first child of Leah and A. Calder Mackay. His only brother, Richard Newton Mackay, soon followed and 13 years later his sister, Leah Louise, joined the family.
In 1926, John's family moved from Washington, D.C. to Beverly Hills, California where John attended Hawthorn grammar Hills School and then Beverly Hills High. He then attended Stanford University from 1938-1942 and graduated with a degree in Pre-Legal.
On March 22, 1942 John married the love of his life, Ellen Ann Evans at the Stanford Chapel. John and Ellen had four children, John Calder Mackay, Edward Evans Mackay, James Newton Mackay, and Ann Elizabeth Mackay.
John served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant for four years in the Pacific Theater and then attended Stanford Law School from 1946-1948. He graduated with an L.L.B. and J.D. diploma.
John build the first commercial building on Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park after it was zoned and paved in 1948 and in 1950 he founded Mackay Homes and built the Villages in San Jose. During the next 30 years he built approximately 15,000 apartment homes and office parks in the Bay Area as well as 13 other states.
In 1963 he built the Mackay family home in Woodside where he loved to ride horses. In later years he purchased a Cattle ranch in Montana and enjoyed the remaining years with his 4 children, their spouses, 11 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren.
John served on the Board of Directors for Children Health Council for many years and was a founder of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He is remembered for so much – a loving devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was loved and respected by all that knew him. Private family memorial will be held at a later date.