A celebration honoring former Florida Gov. Buddy MacKay will be held next Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. at Fort King Presbyterian Church in Ocala. That’s according to the Ocala Star Banner.
A reception will follow the service, and all are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations in MacKay’s honor to the Florida Wildflower Foundation (flawildflowers.org), Interfaith Emergency Services (iesmarion.org), or Fort King Presbyterian Church (ftkingchurch.org)
MacKay died in his sleep on Dec. 31 while at home, surrounded by his family. He was 91 years old.
An Ocala native, MacKay is best known for his short time serving as Florida’s last Democratic governor. As the lieutenant governor at the time, he served from Dec. 13, 1998, to Jan. 5, 1999, following the death of Gov. Lawton Chiles on Dec. 12, 1998.
MacKay was elected as Florida’s lieutenant governor in 1990 and served in that role from 1991 to 1998. He ran as the Democratic Party’s candidate for governor in 1998, losing to Republican Jeb Bush.
MacKay was born in Ocala in 1933 and obtained both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. He spent time in the U.S. Air Force, obtaining the rank of captain. He was first elected to the Florida House in 1968 and then moved on to the state Senate in 1974. MacKay was elected to a central Florida congressional seat in 1982, where he served until 1989.
In 1999, President Bill Clinton appointed MacKay as the U.S. Special Envoy for the Americas, a position he held until 2001. In that role, he worked to strengthen diplomatic relations and promoted economic cooperation throughout the Western Hemisphere.
–Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
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