John L. McKenzie

McKenzie Jr., John Lee "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures." Psalm 23: 1-2. John Lee McKenzie, Jr., 89, was born on December 7, 1925, in Chattanooga, TN, and entered into eternal rest on September 28, 2015, in Portland, Maine, where he and his wife, Gloria loved to vacation. He was a resident of Baton Rouge, and was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. His love of the Lord was obvious in everything he did. John grew up among many loving cousins and extended family in Chattanooga and Madison-ville, TN, where we was known as "Jack," and had maintained close relations with all of them. Being a proud member of the "Greatest Generation," he served aboard the destroyer USS Hart in the U.S. Navy during WWII from 1944 to 1946. Following his naval service, he was a 1949 business graduate of the University of Chattanooga, and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. His career was in Human Resources and safety, but he especially enjoyed his second career in ministry as Business Manager at St. Luke's Episcopal Church where he served for 10 years, then retired for the second time in 2005. John was blessed with a calm spirit, a keen sense of humor, and loved sharing stories with his friends. John is survived by "the prettiest girl in the room," his loving wife of 43 years, Gloria Penton McKenzie; daughter, Jennifer Lea Gauthier; step-daughter, Marcia Jean Parker; son, John Steven (Carol) Kurz; grandchildren, Jack McKenzie Gauthier, Laura Parker, Ray Parker, and Julian (Teresa) Kurz; sister-in-law, Janice McKenzie; five great-grandchildren; a great-great-granddaughter; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Kathy (Mark) Windham, and Matt (Brooke) McKenzie. John was preceded in death by his father and step-mother, John Sr. and Nelle McKenzie; mother and step-father, Ruby Boyce and George Hobbs, Sr.; brother, Roger McKenzie; grandson, Paul Kurz; and a nephew, Brad McKenzie. The family requests visiting hours to be observed on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, from 9-11 am at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 8833 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806. A funeral mass will follow at 11 am, celebrated by Father Bryan Owen. Inurnment will take place in St. Luke's Chapel Columbarium. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, or to your favorite charity. Please share a memory, or leave condolences for the family at www.BakerFuneralHomeOnline.com. "And I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever," Psalm 23:6.