John R. MacKay II ’56 died on August 28, 2024, in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
(The following was provided by the Star-Ledger on September 13, 2024:)
John R. MacKay II of West Caldwell, New Jersey, passed away peacefully in his home on Wednesday, August 28th, 2024, at the age of 90. John – often called Ian – was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He will be remembered for his intelligence, wit, and the rich and interesting life he led.
John moved with his family from Nutley, New Jersey, to India in 1950, where he attended Kodaikanal School, a boarding school in the Kodaikanal Hill station, an experience that greatly influenced his life. John remained active with Kodai Friends International, the school’s alumni group, throughout his life.
John returned to the U.S. in 1952 to attend Bowdoin College, graduating in 1956 with an AB in English. John served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1956 to 1960, including a tour aboard the U.S.S. Haverfield, a destroyer escort, patrolling a route extending from the Alaskan island of Adak to the mid-Pacific atoll of Midway.
After a brief stint as a technical writer, John attended Rutgers Law School, graduating with honors in 1965 and serving as editor-in-chief of the Rutgers Law Review. Following graduation, John clerked for Chief Justice Weintraub of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and then joined Lowenstein Sandler.
During his distinguished legal career, John served as secretary (1969-1974) and chairman and commissioner (1977-1988) of the New Jersey Corporation Law Revision Commission and as an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School and Seton Hall Law School. He authored the treatise “New Jersey Corporations and Other Business Entities”. In looking back on his career, John was always particularly proud of the many pro bono matters that he and Lowenstein Sandler had undertaken. John volunteered with several non-profit organizations, including serving as president of the Newark Day Center and the Rutgers Law School Alumni Association, as treasurer and board member of the Nutley Chapter of the American Red Cross, and as a board member of the William Carlos Williams Center for the Arts and the United Way of Essex and West Hudson.
John remained active in retirement with tennis, travel, and reading. He enjoyed participating in various social groups and maintaining friendships both new and old.
John is survived by his wife, Abby; his children, Scott, Lauren, Amanda, and Paige; and his grandchildren, Tory, Ali, J.W., Meghan, Colleen, Carter, and Jack.