Donald William Mackenzie

Donald W. MacKenzie, professional name, Don Mason, passed away on December 17, 2016 surrounded by his loving family after a short illness.  He was the son of the late John J. MacKenzie and Augusta (MacLeod) MacKenzie, and his beloved stepmother, Roberta (Sutherland) MacKenzie.  

Don was born on June 17, 1930 in Boston.  He was a graduated of No. Quincy High School, class of 1948.  He joined the Navy in 1951 and was stationed aboard the heavy cruiser Newport News for four years.  Upon leaving the Navy he went to Emerson College on the GI bill and graduate valedictorian in May 1958.    

He worked his way through college as a dance teacher at Arthur Murray Studios and continued working there for several years.  He then purchased the Boston Ballroom in 1969.  For the next 46 years he worked as a ballroom dance instructor teaching students in grades 5 – 9 the finer points of social etiquette along with the fox trot, waltz, swing and an assortment of line dances.  He ran social dance programs in Weston, Wellesley, Acton, Wayland, Brookline, Hingham,  Cambridge and Duxbury.  He also ran several ballroom dance programs for adults and senior citizens throughout the New England area.  He was a member of the Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston and served as a past president.  

For over twenty five years he summered on Cape Cod and worked as the social director of the Wychmere Harbor Club in Harwichport.  

Donald ‘s late brother was John K. MacKenzie of NJ.  He is survived by his sister Ann Trudeau and her children Donald and his wife Janet, Dale and his wife Kate, Tracy Baker and her husband John,  all of Weymouth,  Douglas and his wife Kim, his caregiver during his illness, of Scituate,  his nephews David and his wife Cat of Tenn, J. Paul and his wife Ann, of NJ and his niece Johanna Morgan and her husband William of NH.  He is also survived by several grand nephews and nieces.  

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Tuesday 4-8 PM in the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home SOUTH WEYMOUTH at 809 Main Street (Rte 18 opp. So. Shore Hospital).

Funeral service will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11 AM in Old South Union Church, Weymouth.

Don was a supporter of many charitable organizations in the Boston area.  In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made  to Save The Children  by going on line to savethechildren.org – make a donation – make a memorial gift or 501 Kings Hwy East, Suite 400, Fairfield, CT 06825  or to MSCPA Angell Memorial, 350 South Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.