Salient

Loved local legend lives no longer

By Michael Langdon | 10 Sep, 2007

Renowned local philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie died last week at the age of 84 at his home in Wellington.

McKenzie was well-known and respected for his role in founding philanthropy in New Zealand and his significant contributions to many charities, ranging from the hospice movement to Women’s Refuge.

In his earlier years, Sir Roy attended Timaru Boys’ High School and Otago University, after which he served the Royal New Zealand Air Force in World War Two. He then became a chartered accountant and captained the New Zealand ski team at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. His contributions to New Zealand community and education were recognised when he was knighted in 1989 and became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Sir Roy founded the Victoria University Centre for the Study of Families and has an honorary doctorate in Commerce.

Earlier in the year a symposium was held in his honour, with speakers talking on his generosity and love of sports, as he was also a successful tennis player, harness racer and breeder.

He published his memoirs in 1998, entitled Footprints - Harnessing an Inheritance into a Legacy, and in 2004 a film was made about him called Giving It All Away.