JAMES JOHN MacKENZIE

1939 - 2016

 
JAMES JOHN MacKENZIE (Age 76)  
James MacKenzie of Gaithersburg, MD died on April 16, 2016 due to complications of Parkinson Disease and pneumonia. He was the beloved husband, father and grandfather of wife, Rhoda; sons, David (Bridgette) of Gaithersburg, MD, and Matthew (Dianne Cowan) of Cambridge, MA, and granddaughters, Gillian, Casey, and Jennifer. He is also survived by his sisters, Joan Fitzgerald and Mary MacKenzie; his brother, Kevin, and several nieces and nephews. James was born in Cambridge, MA on December 24, 1939 to James J. MacKenzie, Sr. and Mary E. (Madigan). He graduated from Boston College and earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical Nuclear Physics from the University of Minnesota. Before his retirement, James was a Senior Associate at the World Resources Institute in the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program in Washington, DC. Prior to that he was a co-founder and worked on the staff of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and he was a Senior Staff Member for Energy at President Carter''s Council on Environmental Quality. He authored and coauthored numerous books and studies on transportation, climate change, energy security, and other environmental issues. He had worked with Nobel prize winner Henry Kendall on issues such as nuclear reactor safety. He created beautiful black and white photographs, enjoyed woodworking, built and played musical instruments, and practiced and taught Aikido (a Japanese martial art). A memorial service will be held on August 13 at Asbury Methodist Village, where he resided for nearly nine years. Memorial gifts may be made to The American Parkinson Disease Association, http://www.apdaparkinson.org.