Ron McKenzie

Ronnie Dee “Ron” McKenzie, lovingly known as “Big Mack,” passed away peacefully on February 15, 2026, at the age of 82, surrounded by the family he cherished.

Born on November 10, 1943, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Anna Frances Schultz McKenzie and Lacey Eugene McKenzie, Ron lived a life marked by vision, discipline, creativity, and deep devotion to family.

He and his beloved wife, Bobbie “Mackie,” began their partnership in 1962 at the University of Arkansas, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and she was a member of Delta Gamma. After a four-year courtship, they were married on August 20, 1966. Together, they built a home filled with curiosity, adventure, faith, Razorback pride, and an enduring commitment to family. Their last three decades were spent in the house designed by Ron himself, which served as a gathering place for celebrations, holidays, and the beloved annual “Mackie Camp,” where ten grandchildren and extended family bonded through creativity, skits, and tradition.

A music major during his freshman year of college, Ron was a gifted piano player who filled his home with music. He loved Broadway musicals and could often be found at the piano, playing and singing at home. His love for music was lifelong. As a student at the University of Arkansas, he played clarinet in the Razorback Marching Band, proudly reminding anyone who would listen that he played in a famous bowl game for the Hogs (third string, as he would jokingly clarify).

Ron earned his undergraduate degree in accounting, followed by an MBA, and built a career defined by innovation and leadership. He became an early expert in information technology, pioneering the automation of records for doctors, banks, and other industries at a time when computers filled entire rooms.

In 1978, he founded Computer Dynamics, Inc., which was later acquired by Systematics and ultimately by Alltel. After selling Computer Dynamics, he gifted the logo he had designed to the executives of Clark Dillard Inc. (CDI Contractors), and it remains in use today. He retired from Alltel Information Systems in 2002 as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Technology Services.

In the early 1980s, he opened one of the first retail outlets in the South to sell the Apple IIe personal computer—decades before Apple Stores became a global phenomenon. He introduced computers to local schools and quietly helped usher in a new era of learning.

Ron had a beautiful mind. Long before Google Maps or travel apps, he created masterful itineraries by hand. He introduced his children to the world—not casually, but deliberately. He took them from train to train through Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, ensuring that history, architecture, and culture were experienced firsthand. In 1984, he loaded four children into a raised-roof conversion van and drove across the country to the Los Angeles Olympics, making adventure part of his family’s identity.

Five months before his passing, Ron lost his ability to speak due to bulbar-onset ALS. Yet even as his voice faded, his spirit did not. Throughout his final days in hospice, he communicated with a steady thumbs-up—a gesture that became his signature of gratitude, encouragement, and strength. His family cared for him with overwhelming love, and in return, he gave affirmation until the very end.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 59 years, Bobbie; his children, Mark McKenzie (Colleen) and Jeff McKenzie (Marcy), both of Heber Springs; Dr. Allan McKenzie (Susie Shinn) and Chelle McCarroll (Greg), both of Little Rock.

He is also survived by his ten loving grandchildren: Brandon Blackwood (Natalie) of Chicago, Illinois; Jake Blackwood (Hayley) of Heber Springs; Mary Katherine McKenzie; Cadence McKenzie; Chandler McKenzie (Will Shelton); Jett McKenzie; Marin McKenzie; Beckham McKenzie; Dane McCarroll; and Lee McCarroll; as well as three great-grandchildren, Palmer, Harper, and Eva.

In his final days, he was comforted by visits from his brother, Mike McKenzie, and many special extended family members and friends, including Linda Cassinelli, Tommy Hanson, John Carter, and Julie and Billy McCarroll.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two siblings who passed away in childhood; his sister, Doris Alexander; and his brother, Jerry McKenzie. Ron’s family would like to extend special thanks to Arkansas Hospice/Lifetouch and to our angel, Cynthia, who served as his nurse and caregiver in his final days. She was a gift from heaven and is now a part of our family.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, February 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church in Little Rock. A celebration of his life will follow in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Catholic High School for Boys, Mount St. Mary Academy, the ALS Foundation at UAMS, or a charity of your choosing.

Ron McKenzie showed his family the world—and in doing so, he shaped theirs. In honor of Big Mack, we invite you to raise your thumb and remember a life lived with vision, adventure, and enduring love.