Sir Roy McKenzie

Sir Roy McKenzie was renowned for his hands-on approach to helping the community. Learn about his life and philanthropic activities.

Roy McKenzie was born in 1922. After attending Timaru Boys High School, he studied accountancy at Otago University. During World War II he served in the RNZAF and the RAF on Bomber Command.

In 1948 Roy married Shirley Howard. They had three children—Peter, John, and Robyn—and nine grandchildren.

In the same year, he was registered as an Associate Chartered Accountant and started working for the McKenzies department store chain. From 1949 to 1970 he was the Executive Director. He also served as a director at several other companies.

Philanthropy

Sir Roy made an immense contribution to philanthropy in New Zealand. He was on the J R McKenzie Trust Board from 1947 to 1993 and chaired it for 17 years. He also set up two other grant-making bodies: the McKenzie Education Foundation and the Roy McKenzie Foundation. Both are renowned for their innovative approaches to supporting community initiatives.

As well as serving on the Deaf Decade Trust, Sir Roy was involved in the J R McKenzie Youth Education Fund and the Ngā Manu Nature Reserve Trust.

He acknowledged the personal rewards he gained from his community volunteering. One of his favourite quotes was from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Leisure time

In his busy life, Sir Roy also found time for recreational pursuits, including skiing, photography, tennis, tramping, harness racing, and breeding. He was also an active Rotarian.

Recognition

Roy McKenzie received many awards in recognition of his contributions, including the Order of New Zealand, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Honorary Doctor of Literature at Massey University, and Honorary Doctor of Commerce at Victoria University of Wellington.