Tribute

O. Diane MacKenzie of Mission, BC passed away peacefully on December 26, 2010 releasing her from the pain of chronic conditions bravely borne for too long.
Born June 27, 1941in Matsqui, BC to James Clifford and Stella Grace MacKenzie (nee Mathers) of Straiton; she grew up and lived most of her working life in the Fraser Valley. She worked the Bank of Commerce in Abbotsford before moving to Vancouver for a few years and taking time off to begin a family with husband, Elwin Kelly. After the family returned to Abbotsford, she worked at Mahoney’s Bakery until she was volunteered to help with a centennial project of the local Women’s Institutes. This adventure resulted in a move to Victoria in 1989 to become the BC Museums and Galleries Advisor after having served as the first curator of the MSA Museum from it’s inception in 1969. Career changes brought her back to the Valley working in the Telephone Museum in Aldergrove and then for Mission Native Housing and going on to establish the Learning Centre (computer school) in Mission. After sale of the school, Diane worked in programming at the British Columbia Forrest Museum in Duncan. Retirement brought her back to the Valley, first to Abbotsford and then to Mission. The variation in her volunteer career rivaled that of her professional.
Diane will be missed by her siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews and numerous friends.

The memorial services will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, January 8th at Straiton Community Hall, 4698 Sumas Mountain Road, Abbotsford. Donations in lieu of flowers are welcomed to Straiton Community Club or Crohn”s & Colitis Foundation of Canada.