Thomas William Mackay

Thomas William Mackay was born to Janette and Wendell Mackay on February 26, 1940, in Los Angeles, California. With his two older brothers, Ian and Ron, Tom grew up in Tujunga, California (an outlying Los Angeles suburb at the northeast end of the San Fernando Valley).
On November 13, 1951, their family was sealed in the Mesa, Arizona, Temple. In large measure, Tom attributes that family turning point to sacred spiritual awakenings often recounted by his father to Ian, Ron, and Tom. Tom was exceptionally close to his brothers throughout his life; he admired the scripture passion of his father (who dabbled in Greek and Latin while searching for deeper meaning); and he cared tenderly and devotedly for his brilliant mother, including in-home care during her final years.
Tom's intellect and enduring love of music were evident early in life. He was a talented classical pianist fueled by his father's own love of classical music that filled the childhood home. Tall and lean, athletically, he was drawn to track and field despite chronic asthma that took its toll throughout his life. Above all, Tom was intellectually and academically gifted, characteristics that shaped and steered his life. Near the end of his mother's life, Janette reminisced and quipped tellingly to her grandchildren: "Tom sure loved his books!"
In 1957, Tom enrolled for a year at UCLA, where he roomed with his brother Ron. He transferred to BYU in 1958, completing the bulk of his undergraduate work before serving a two-and-a-half-year mission in France and Switzerland from June 1961 to January 1964. Those years entrenched a lifelong personal and professional love for art, culture, antiquities, and linguistics, including French. Tom would eventually count as his "own languages" English, French, Latin, Greek, and Italian.
But it was an initially unspoken sentence (a phone number, actually) that would change his life. Having returned to BYU to complete his studies, one day in February 1964, Tom noticed a cute blonde eating lunch by herself. He decided to sit down and get to know her. That cute blonde was Rosemary Tyler. Unfortunately, with his head in a Greek book for part of the lunch, Tom neglected to ask for her phone number. The next day he waited outside her French class to make amends. Tom and Rosemary were married on June 8, 1964, in the Salt Lake Temple.
The couple's oldest son, John, was born in 1966 and, after a few years teaching at BYU, Tom went to Stanford University to commence his Ph.D. in classics, including Greek and Roman Classics. Tom and Rosemary would welcome Sandy (1968) and Joe (1969) to the family.
In 1970, Tom was awarded a prestigious grant to do research at the Vatican as he finished his dissertation (on his "handheld" typewriter that he toted everywhere). For her part, Rosemary toted along unborn Catherine, and the growing family moved to Rome, Italy. When Catherine was born in Rome (1971), nurses and bystanders alike often exclaimed, "quanti bambini!" reflecting their surprise at "so many children!" The family accompanied Tom as he visited antiquities and cultural sites in Italy, Greece, France, and England – an early commitment to their children's cultural education.
After a year abroad, the family returned to Utah, where Tom accepted a job at BYU. He would become an acclaimed full Professor of Greek and Latin in the Department of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature. He savored the challenge of expanding and enlightening the young minds of students at BYU, where he would spend the next 30 years teaching, researching, writing, and pondering the beauties of ancient cultures.
Tom and Rosemary purchased a home in Orem, Utah, where they welcomed Steve (1973), Alice Marie (1975) and Patricia (1978, stillborn) to the family. Tom dedicated his professional career to teaching the classics at BYU.
As his children grew to know their father, they were constantly amazed at the depth and breadth of his professional endeavors ranging from work on Greek papyri, to scholarship on the Greek New Testament, to his classes on Greek mythology (a family favorite), to his versatility in teaching the works of Homer, Sophocles, Herodotus, Plato, and Aristotle – always using slides of Greek vases to illustrate his topics. He evolved to researching other ancient and medieval writers who had labored to preserve early Greek texts of the New Testament, including Origen and Didymus (4th-century Christians in Egypt) and the Venerable Bede (a 6th-century English monk). He admired their dedicated lives and seemed to think of them as distant friends in a common cause. He viewed with special awe the magnificent cathedrals, sculptures, and art borne of early Christian devotion.
As a father, he balanced time and encouraged his children to appreciate music; he relished playing piano duets with them; he taught them a love for the deeper spiritual and gospel principles embedded in the nuanced language of the scriptures; he coached Little League baseball for years; and he cheered at his kids' athletic events and recitals. With faculty tickets to BYU football and basketball games, his favorite sport was challenging his kids to keep up with his stride to and from the parking lot. And of course, along with Rosemary, he was relentless in encouraging his children to pursue education and learning in all its forms.
In 2000, Tom and Rosemary settled into a new home in American Fork near the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple. They found a fresh energy in life and relished serving in the temple, which was within walking distance from their home. While serving in many church capacities, Tom had found joy for decades as a sought-after gospel doctrine teacher, for which he had a unique gift. But with an appreciation and love for people of all backgrounds and circumstances, Tom also ministered quietly and invisibly where he saw need. While in American Fork, Tom and Rosemary met the Aubrey family, who grew to call them "grandparents." Many happy family gatherings were hosted and memories created at their American Fork home.
In January 2008, they felt prompted to leave their home and to serve a mission in beautiful French-speaking Papeete, Tahiti. They returned much earlier than planned in August 2008 when Rosemary was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She passed away on October 2, 2008, leaving Tom broken-hearted. But with a unique outlook on life, Tom grieved and then pressed forward, trusting the Lord's unseen plan for him.
The next year, Tom reached out to an old friend, Robin Temple (whose first spouse had also passed years earlier), and invited her to lunch. Robin agreed to meet him so long as he understood that she was never getting married again. Tom accepted the challenge. They met for lunch. He was charming and friendly; she was intelligent and quick-witted, plus she had a strong educational background in Latin (with a smattering of Greek). They were married on November 3, 2009, opening a new chapter of beauty, love, friendship, service, and joy in life. Tom and Robin served a mission together in Verona, Italy, from 2013 to 2014 in a capacity that leaned on their extraordinary skill set and joint linguistic background.
Tom also loved Robin's children, Brynna and Austen, as his own, and welcomed a new granddaughter, Serena (2017), who brought an unmistakable sparkle of love and personality into his life. Tom and Robin lived in their home in St. George, Utah, until Tom passed away on December 22, 2025.
Tom viewed his marriage to Robin as a gift from a loving Father in Heaven who had an infinite understanding of Tom.
Having been tutored by life and by whisperings of the Spirit for nearly 86 years, whatever Tom's other pursuits or accomplishments may have been, Tom's core was defined by compassion even as his mortal body began to give out in the last decade of his life.
Having now crossed the River Styx, Tom will be sorely missed. But his legacy will continue longer than any Greek mythology.
Tu resteras à jamais dans nos cœurs, jusqu'à ce que nos âmes se retrouvent dans la paix des cieux. You will remain forever in our hearts, until our souls meet again in the peace of heaven.
In addition to his wife and children, Tom is survived by 27 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; Robin Ann Temple (née Edgel), Brynna Temple Betrouni (Mohammed), Serena Camilia Robin Betrouni, Austen Mark Temple, John Wendell Mackay (Haley), Morgan Mackay Jarvis (Todd), Adelaide Rose Jarvis, Eloise Anne Jarvis, Margaret Jane Jarvis, Nicholas Richards Mackay (Meagan), Elliott John Mackay, Alexander Thomas Mackay (Katy), Elsie Ray Mackay, Jay Tate Mackay, Sandra Elizabeth Singer (Jeff) Matthew Gustav Singer, Rachel Elizabeth Quinn (McKay), George McKay Quinn, Andrew Paul Quinn, Brigham Jeffrey Quinn, McKay Russell Quinn, Henry Niels Quinn, Jacob Jeffrey Singer (Shannell), Charlotte Heidi Singer, Kate Elizabeth Singer, Joseph Jeffrey Singer, John Harald Singer, Joseph Chase Singer, Alexandra Heide Singer, Emily Maria Turville (Hayden), Andrew Mackay Singer, Joseph Tyler Mackay (Linda), Addyson Rose Mackay, Gehrig Rogers Mackay, Catherine Mackay Jorgensen, Janette Jorgensen Driscoll (Steven), Jackson Thomas Driscoll, Eliana Mae Driscoll, Samuel James Sullivan Jorgensen, Martha Jane Domnikov (Alex), Anna Marie Jorgensen (Brayden Paul), Mary Eleanor Jorgensen, Charlotte Elizabeth Jorgensen, Steven Enoch Mackay, William Joshua Mackay, Benson Tyler Mackay, Elizabeth Anne Mackay, Alice Marie Miller (Nigel), Patricia Christie Miller Broadbent (Elijah), Penelope Rose Broadbent, Trevon Keith Miller, Andrew Thomas Miller, and Brian Nigel Miller.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at 11:00 am at Wheeler-Sundberg Funeral Home, 495 S. State St, Orem, UT. Interment will be at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery, 500 N. 100 W. St. Pleasant Grove, UT, following the funeral services.
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Past Services
Funeral Service
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
11:00 am - 12:00 pm (Mountain time)
Wheeler-Sundberg Funeral Home