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Obituary

Mrs. Mackenzie

With the death of Mrs. Mackenzie in February of last year, College has lost one of its oldest and truest friends. Mrs. Mackenzie and the Professor arrived in New Zealand with four small children and so she was, from the beginning, immersed in the cares of a large and growing family; but even in those early strenuous days she loved to welcome the students to her home in Karori and the students used to delight the youngsters by practising College hakas on the front lawn. One student in particular, whose untimely death she ever regretted, was Alan Macdougall-and the Mackenzie home became for him a second home. When the family moved to the house opposite College, Mrs. Mackenzie's hospitality was offered to generation after generation of students and staff. She was able to give what was so much needed, gentleness and sympathy, tact and understanding to practice which requires unselfishness and strength of mind and body.

As her own children grew old enough to go to the University, she became more actively associated with V.U.C. and she thoroughly enjoyed going to many different types of entertainment. In the early days, she was one of the chaperons, and was always keenly interested in the Basketball Club, of which she was Patron.

It was always in the individual student she was interested, and in her own drawing-room she would gather them round and even the quietest and shyest would soon find, seated by Mrs. Mackenzie, that his voice would begin to function.

It was in her home, too, that many a student would have an opportunity of meeting and listening to people who were actually taking part in the wider life of affairs.

We are grateful for what she has done for V.U.C. Her impulse was always to mother us. She knew we needed it-and so we did-and do.

—Edith R. Miller.