Celebration of life for former Gov. Buddy MacKay scheduled for Jan. 15

Former Gov. Buddy MacKay will be honored with a celebration of life on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. at the church he helped build, Fort King Presbyterian Church in Ocala.

The church is located at 13 NE 36th Ave. All are welcome to attend. A reception will be held following the service.

In lieu of flowers, MacKay’s family asks that donations be made in the late Governor’s honor to the Florida Wildflower Foundation, Interfaith Emergency Services or Fort King Presbyterian Church.

MacKay passed away peacefully in his sleep last Tuesday, on New Year’s Eve, surrounded by his adult sons and wife, Anne. He was 91 years old.

MacKay was the last Democrat to serve as Florida Governor. MacKay served briefly as Governor following the passing of Lawton Chiles in late 1998. MacKay lost his bid for Governor that year to Jeb Bush. No Democrat has won the office since.

While MacKay’s tenure in the Governor’s mansion was short — less than one month — his career in politics was not. MacKay served as Chiles’ running mate in 1990 when Chiles challenged Republican Gov. Bob Martinez and went on to win in a landslide. Chiles won re-election over Bush, again with MacKay at his side, in the 1994 gubernatorial election.

Before serving as Lieutenant Governor, MacKay ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate, losing narrowly to Republican Connie Mack. He was elected to the Florida House in 1968, where he served for six years, before moving to the Florida Senate and then, in 1982, to the U.S. House.

MacKay was born in Ocala in 1933. He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida in nearby Gainesville, and served in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of captain.

MacKay also served as a United States Special Envoy for the Americans under former President Bill Clinton, from 1991 until early 2001 when George W. Bush was sworn into office.