John "Red" McKenzie

John Ray "Red" McKenzie, 74, of South Shore, KY, passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus, surrounded by his family on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Bluegrass Hospice in Lexington, KY.

He was born at his home in South Portsmouth, KY, on September 11, 1949, a son of the late Sandy "Bill" and Flossie Wheeler McKenzie.

Red was an Army Vietnam Veteran, PVT 1st Class US Army, Battery D 8th Battalion Artillery. While in Vietnam, he was critically injured and received a Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. He was a Kentucky Colonel, organized local food and toy drives for children, re-established annual fireworks at the South Shore American Legion, proudly bought and distributed flags for the community to display, and established the Carla McKenzie Cancer Foundation to help local families with medical and travel expenses.

You could always find Red in a pocket t-shirt with a smile on his face. He loved his family and his community, but his greatest love was his grandkids. They thought he was a magician- he loved to do card and magic tricks, even entertaining at their birthday parties. He always gave them their very first Reese Cup and Diet Pepsi and many of them had nicknames given by him. 

Along with his parents he is preceded in death by his first wife Carla Taylor McKenzie; three brothers, Russell McKenzie, Robert McKenzie, Billy Joe McKenzie and one sister, Virgie Porter.

Left behind to cherish his memory are his wife Faye Howell McKenzie; three daughters, Rayetta (Mike) Parker, D.J. (James) Ryan and Missi (Terena) Hampton; one son, Billy Joe (Sonya) McKenzie; fourteen grandkids: Whitney, Joey, Johnny Ray, Alivia, Jena, Reid, Ian, Carli, Kenzie, Drew, Mya, Gabe, Laura and Megan; fourteen great-grandkids: Lainey, Cayden, Aubrey, Annie, Carter, Corbin, Lilly, Oliver, Gabe, Briggs, Ariana, Andrea, Zoe, and Cheyanne. He was so looking forward to meeting the two babies on the way, Micah and John; five sisters, Jean Wood, Marilyn Esposito, Carolyn Queen and Sally (Jeff) Sigler; two brothers, Ernie (Lillian) McKenzie, Ottie (Pam) McKenzie, and many extended family and friends who will miss him dearly.

Funeral services will be 2 P.M. Sunday, May 12, 2024 at Morton-Hunt Family Funeral Home in South Shore, KY., with Rev. Scott Hill officiating. Burial will follow at MT Zion Cemetery in South Shore, KY. Visitation will be Saturday May 11 at McKell Middle School 129 Bulldog Lane South Shore, KY 41175 from 5 P.M. until 8 P.M. and from 1 P.M. until the funeral hour at the funeral home on Sunday. 

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