Rick Mackey

1953 - 2024

Rick Mackey passed on May 13, 2024, after a 19-month battle with cancer. He was 71 years of age, having just celebrated his birthday on May 1.

Rick is remembered as a dedicated family man, friend and as a legendary sled dog racing champion. In his father's words, "Rick started the mushing tradition in our family. When he was 6 we had just moved to Alaska from New Hampshire, and he saw a dog team. He said he wanted to do that, and I went out and got him a dog." Rick cared for sled dogs for 65 years alongside the heart of Happy Dog Kennel, Patti.

Rick and Patti met while his father, Dick, was preparing for the 1973 Iditarod. From then on, the couple was joined at the hip and worked toward their goal of building their championship sled dog kennel and life together. Rick and Patti enjoyed gardening, going for drives, and spending time with family. For many years the couple lived off the grid in Trapper Creek, Alaska, where they maintained their kennel and the homesteading lifestyle. Rick and Patti celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 29, 2024.

Rick and Patti worked for the Nenana School district where he worked as a foreman overseeing maintenance among many other hats he wore at the school. He worked right up until he was diagnosed with cancer and his health forced him to retire earlier than he'd planned to, much to his disappointment because he enjoyed his job and co-workers where he has been described by them as the "best boss ever."

Rick had a talent for building a team, be it people or dogs, he was a natural born leader who could rally by working right alongside others to accomplish whatever he set his mind to. Rick's most notable sled dog racing achievements include winning the Iditarod and the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest, as well as placing second and third in each event and being a perineal top-10 finisher in both races; racing in the Iditarod in all four decades; two wins in the Kuskokwim 300 and the 350-mile Coldfoot Classic, to name a few; several Vet's Choice awards for his outstanding care of his team; and six "Fastest time from Safety to Nome" awards, which is given to the musher who has maintained the fastest dog team on the last run of the Iditarod.

Rick is survived by his wife, Patti Mackey; daughter, Brenda Mackey (Will Rhodes); granddaughter, Isabel Rhodes; son, Roland Mackey; father, Dick, and stepmom, Cathy Mackey; brothers, Bill Mackey and Jason Mackey; sisters, Kaye (Scott) Saxon, Kim (Rick) Jensen and Kristin (James) Elieff; and stepfather, Paul Voorhis. Rick is preceded in death by his mother, Jo Voorhis; sister, Becky Mackey Nickerson; brother, Lance Mackey; stepmom, Kathie Smith; father- and mother-in-law, Raymond "Frenchie" and Marie Corneau; and brother- and sister-in-law, Roger and Dixie Black.