Donald Ward McKenzie Jr. (May 11, 1947 – December 3, 2008) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.[1][2]
McKenzie was inducted as an "Honor Swimmer" into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1989.[5] In 2000, he was inducted into the Indiana University Hall of Fame.[6] He was also inducted posthumously into the Los Angeles Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.[7]
McKenzie continued to swim after the Olympics. He became a Masters swimmer with the Sierra Nevada Masters and held the men's 50–54 age group 100-yard national breaststroke record with a 1:01.02 in 1998. His record stood until 2010.[8]
Personal life
As the president of Practice Management Services, he created and supported computer software and systems for medical, dental, and small businesses. He was a real estate investor, counselor, and licensee with Remcor in Reno.[9] He enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Masters and the Pacific Masters Swimming groups as well as golfing, skiing, target shooting, wood working, and racing cars.
Don was diagnosed with a Stage IV brain tumor (a glioblastoma) in the summer of 2007.[10] He died on December 3, 2008, due to complications resulting from his brain tumor and was survived by his father and mother, Don and Clarice McKenzie; wife, Syd McKenzie; children, Amy, Ryan and (Andrea), Anne, Emily, and Amanda McKenzie; new granddaughter, Naomi Mackenzie; siblings, Bob and (Kathy) McKenzie and Suzanne and (Steve) Wortman, and a loving family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends.[9]