Richard "Stretch" D. Mckenzie

Richard “Stretch” D. McKenzie, 95, of Auburn, Indiana died on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at Shorehaven in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Born on August 2, 1927, in Auburn, Indiana, he was the son of Paul M. McKenzie and Martha M. (Sharp) McKenzie. He served in the US Navy in the late 1940’s and spent time in San Diego. He married his high school sweetheart Beryl J. Baughman in 1947. They eloped and got married in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1947. He worked at the Borg-Warner Plant in Auburn learning the gear manufacturing process and working his way up from the tool crib. While married and working he attended Purdue University Extension in Fort Wayne and hitch hiked to night school to get an Associate in Science Degree in Drafting and Mechanical Technology in 1949.

He is survived by: Children; his daughter, Linda (nee McKenzie) Georgeson, son, Lynn McKenzie, daughter, Paige Matz, and son Craig McKenzie. Grandchildren; Aaron Matz, Belinda O’Neill, Matthew McKenzie, Kate Sims, Patrick Georgeson, Peter Georgeson, and Paul McKenzie. Great-grandchildren; Paxton Georgeson, Maddie McKenzie, Micah McKenzie, Opal and Pike Georgeson, Henry Sims, Makayla McKenzie, Brendan O’Neill, and Katherine O’Neill, and Roco O’Neill and Mila O’Neill.

He was preceded in death by daughter Karen Annette McKenzie (1948-1948) and his wife Beryl on Monday, 10 April 2017, daughter of the late Oscar Donald Baughman and the late Melba Blanch (Hutton).

He had a long career in manufacturing starting with Borg-Warner in gear manufacturing from 1951 to 1963. In order to expand his career and surprising his whole family he took a job with Napco Bevel Gear Manufacturing in Minneapolis in 1963. The job was as a Chief Tool Designer on a three year contract with a team building a startup gear factory outside of New Delhi, India. After spending 6 mos. In Minneapolis he took his wife and four children to live in New Delhi, India.

It was a life adventure for all of us after growing up in a small town. Upon returning he worked at J.I. Case in Racine for a year as Methods Engineer, before taking a job as Chief Tool & Process Engineer/Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Milwaukee Gear in Milwaukee. He then moved to Chicago as General Manager of both D. O. James and Chicago Gear Manufacturing for 7 years. He also worked also as General Manager of Grove Gear in Union Grove for 4 years. He moved to Philadelphia in Pennsylvania for a year or so, working for Lamont Gear Co. and Earle Gear and Machine from 1982 to 1984 as Manager of Manufacturing Services and Operations Manager respectively Richard decided to return to Milwaukee and worked for American Friction Welding until he retired.

Richard and his wife Beryl were long time serving members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in North Prairie, Wisconsin.

His favorite hobbies were listening to Big Band Jazz of the 40’s thru the 60’s, and he held a sizable collection on LP, Reel to Reel, cassette, and CD’s. He also collected stamps from all countries in the world after he got his collection from his father.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at Pagenkopf Funeral Home, 1165 E. Summit Avenue in Oconomowoc, with a visitation from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. Memorials may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church or the charity of your choice.