Alex Martin McKenzie passed away on July 15, 2023, at the age of 84. Alex was a beloved son, veteran, husband, father, grandpa, great-grandpa, and friend who will be missed and remembered by many.

Alex was preceded in death by his parents Martin Alexander and Edith (Bailey) McKenzie, grandparents: (Alexander) Alex Murdoch and Emma Jane (Searles) MacKenzie, (William) Willie and (Sara Catherine) Kate (Montgomery) Bailey, his grandson Austin Philip McKenzie, and most of his work colleagues.

Alex is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret A. (Crimmey) McKenzie, as well as his children and their spouses: Philip M. and Midian (Fonseca) McKenzie, Trina C. (MacKenzie) and (Raymond) Ray D. Goehring, Brian C. and Virginia (Clark) McKenzie, and Dale W. and Neita (Dick) McKenzie; grandchildren: Taylor H. Goehring, Beau A. and Sara R. (Bowen) Goehring, Harvey B. and Jaimie (Cooper) Goehring, Victor M. and Daphne (Kraft) McKenzie, Amber D. McKenzie and Geoff Geyman, Jessica R. McKenzie, Charles A. McKenzie, Nichole M. McKenzie, Joshua M. and Laura (Hicks) McKenzie, Michael S. McKenzie, and Timothy A. McKenzie; and 20 great grandchildren.

Born on October 13, 1938, Alex spent quite a bit of time in Cashmere, Washington with his grandparents Alex, Emma, Willie, and Kate while both parents pursued employment in the Seattle area. Alex attended a couple of year in the Seattle school system during his elementary education. When his father obtained a maintenance position with the Washington State Highway Department, Martin moved the family to Cashmere. Alex completed the remainder of his school years in Cashmere where he graduated from Cashmere High School.

Alex was awarded an Associate of Arts degree in Engineering from Wenatchee Valley College prior to joining the United States (US) Air Force in 1960. He met his wife, Margaret A. Crimmey, while they were both serving as airmen in the US Air Force at Lowry Air Force Base (AFB) in Denver, Colorado. Shortly after getting married in 1961, Alex and his wife relocated to the McCord AFB in Tacoma, Washington. Their first son, Philip M. McKenzie, was born on McCord AFB in 1962. Their only daughter, Trina C. MacKenzie (McKenzie) was born on McCord AFB in 1963. Their second son, Brian C. McKenzie, was also born on McCord AFB in 1965.

Alex departed the military after a temporary deployment at the Galena Air Force Forward Operating Station on the island of Galena in Alaska. Alex was responsible to load and unload bombs on aircraft and troubleshooted electronic issues for the pilots of the Air Support Group based out of Elmendorf AFB. Due to its strategic location within interior Alaska, Galena's mission was to intercept incoming Soviet aircraft during the Vietnam era of the Cold War. After departing from the US Air Force as an Airman First Class, Alex moved his family to the Wenatchee area. Their third son, Dale W. McKenzie, was born in Wenatchee in 1968.

Alex worked at the Skookum Potato plant for a few months in Wenatchee prior to obtaining his job fixing business machines for Friden/Singer/TRW Business Machines Division. Alex held that job for 23 years. His territory included all business clients in Eastern Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. In 1976, Alex moved his family from the suburbs of Wenatchee to a home in Benton City, Washington. In 1981, Alex began working for the primary Management and Operations (M&O) Contractor at the Hanford Site as an instrument technician. After 22 years of dedicated service to the Hanford Site via various M&O contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Hanford, Westinghouse Hanford, and CH2M Hill Hanford Group, he retired in 2003.

Alex was a certified HAM radio operator for most of his life. He not only used the equipment but would help friends install and troubleshoot their systems to ensure they could get the most from there equipment. While working for Friden/Singer/TRW, Alex traveled extensively. Therefore, he repeatedly installed radios into each company vehicle he was issued. He would do it at his cost and on his own time to ensure his wife could reach him if there were an emergency. Remember this was prior to the proliferation of cell phone technology. Alex would spend hours and hours of his free time talking with people from all over the world. His favorite radio conversations were with his sons gathering the latest news scoop about their family.

Alex was an active senior member of the Richland Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Squadron, while it was designated as an auxiliary to the US Air Force, 1977-1989. He was the primary bus driver for the Richland CAP Squadron. He greatly enjoyed transporting the CAP cadets to and from events including survival and leadership training at the ESTA Camp in Ephrata, Washington; CAP 2-week Encampments sponsored by Washington Wing Headquarters and held at McCord AFB in Tacoma, Washington; Washington State Emergency Management sponsored exercises; and Federal Aviation Administration requested private aircraft search & rescue events.

Alex was always the first to volunteer to accompany other CAP Senior Members for private aircraft flights. He was not deterred even when crafty pilots snuck in some wild acrobatics during several of the airplane flights. Alex often volunteered to participate in various airshows sponsored by CAP within Washington State. He enjoyed sharing his military stories with the visiting military pilots at those airshows.

While with CAP, Alex setup and maintained the antenna array and computer equipment required to properly operate the fixed repeater station placed on Jujpoff Joe Butte, near the Tri-Cities, Washington. The Federal Communications Commission approved this repeater for use by the Washington Wing CAP in 1982. Over the years Alex also donated additional equipment to ensure that the squadron had robust communication capabilities to support any training, exercise, or search and rescue operations required by CAP Senior Members and cadets.

Both prior to and after his retirement, Alex loved to spend time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Alex and his wife worked as a team to continue the precedent set by his own grandparents, to provide childcare for the grandkids while their parents were working. Alex, like his father, was a gun enthusiast who loved to go hunting when the opportunity presented itself. He also went out of his way to introduce Trina's friend, Sadie Scott, to the proper way to shoot a variety of weapons. Alex also encouraging his sons to become proficient with a variety of guns.

In retirement, Alex and his wife enjoyed taking road adventures to see the amazing sights throughout the northwest. They especially enjoyed going to the various hydroelectric dams and assorted historical museums.

The grave-side service with military honors will be held on Friday, July 28, 2023, at 10am at Mueller's Cemetery, located at 1401 S. Union, Kennewick, WA; with a celebration of life reception held at 3900 Kennedy Rd, West Richland, Washington, immediately after the service. Please everyone come and enjoy this time with us!!!

Those wishing to sign Alex's online memorial book may do so at muellersfuneralhomes.com. Mueller's Funeral Home is in care of arrangements.