Henry L. McKenzie, Jr.
Henry (Hank) L. McKenzie, Jr. (April 9, 1929 to February 17, 2021) passed away peacefully after a brief, nonCOVID-related illness.
He was preceded in death by his much-adored wife Dorothy, his siblings Thomas (Pete) McKenzie, Christy Ann Maguire, Jim McKenzie and Kathy McKenzie. He is survived by his daughter Liz Mayta, his son Doug McKenzie (Gina), and his grandchildren Nicole and Regina Mayta, and Charlotte and Drew McKenzie. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Marina McKenzie and cousin Harry Hanratty (Bea) as well as many nieces and nephews from the McKenzie, Keith and Maguire families.
Hank was a proud San Franciscan. He spent his early years in the family flat over a storefront on Haight Street at Ashbury and was baptized at St. Agnes, where he attended school until fifth grade.
Then Hank and the family moved to Big Oak Flat just outside Yosemite, where his father, Henry L. McKenzie, Sr. worked on the maintenance crew of the Hetch Hetchy Dam. During their year there, Hank attended a one-room schoolhouse where he was the entire sixth grade.
In 1941, the family settled in Bernal Heights, where he graduated from both St. Peter’s Grammar School and High School in the Mission District. Hank enrolled in City College, leaving in 1951 when he was drafted and served in Korea as an Army cook and as a member of the military police charged with guarding President Eisenhower on his tour of South Korea. When he was discharged in 1953, his family had moved to 39th and Vicente in the Sunset, next door to the Fairlane grocery store.
Hank met his wife-to-be Dorothy Brauner at Earthquake Magoon’s where he “spotted her across the room.” They married in 1957 and bought their first home on Athens Street in the Crocker Amazon while Hank worked full-time and completed his business degree at USF.
In the ‘60s, Hank was a realtor and held open houses on weekends. Liz skipped kindergarten on Thursdays so Hank could spend time with her and Doug on his day off.
The family moved, while the kids were small, to the Sunset District and joined St. Gabriel’s Parish. When the real estate market took a tumble, Hank drove a Yellow Cab to take up the slack. This later led to lively dinner table debates about the quickest way to get to a San Francisco destination when Liz and Doug started driving.
In the early ‘70s, Hank and Dorothy relocated to the Pine Lake Park neighborhood where the family enjoyed summer concerts at Sigmund Stern Grove and went on many memorable vacations to Camp Mather, Guerneville and Twain Harte.
Once Doug and Liz left the nest, the parents moved to Cow Hollow where Hank walked to his job as Chief Appraiser in the Assessor’s Office at City Hall.
After Dorothy passed in 1986, Hank took up biking and sailing with Doug on the Bay. And with the birth of his first grandchild in 1991, Hank became Papa and established a family tradition of summer vacations together in Lake Tahoe. He was a warm and attentive grandfather despite joking that he didn’t like kids, not even himself as a child.
For the last 30 years, Hank loved gathering with his extended family and friends—including his “epic” 90th birthday party where he was celebrated and honored across generations. A natural host, he also held a highly anticipated afterChristmas party for years.
Known for his wit and dry sense of humor, Hank attracted friends of all ages. With the younger crowd, he enjoyed hearing the scoop on budding romances. He also generously invited his children’s and grandchildren’s friends in and made them part of the family.
Until recently, Hank could still be seen out and about his home near the Embarcadero, zipping along in his red electric scooter, stopping for coffee and sitting in the warm sun, just enjoying the moment.
Hank had a wonderful life and will be dearly missed.
Donations may be made to San Francisco Suicide Prevention where Hank was a longtime volunteer and board member. The family will schedule memorial services post-Covid when it is safe to do so.