Ronald Raymond MacKay September 26th, 1928 - April 14th, 2008

Taken from the Memorial Program for Ron.

Ron MacKay received his formal music education at the Canadian Armed Forces School of Music, St. Francis Xavier University, and Dalhousie University.

Beginning music instruction at age 10 with the Dunnville Boys Band, Ron joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1946, first as a cook, then serving for 20 years in the Armed Forces Band as a French horn player, band master and instructor.

His professional career as an instrumentalist encompassed a variety of additional organizations, including the Halifax Opera Company, Halifax Symphonette, CBC Orchestra, Halifax Symphony Orchestra, and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra.

Ron retired from the Armed Forces Band in 1966 and began a career in music education as an instrumental music teacher in Truro. As director of the Cobequid Educational Centre Symphonic Band and its feeder programs from grades 4 through 12. He developed one of the more prominent school bands in the Atlantic Provinces. During his tenure as Band Director in Truro, over 300 students went on to pursue careers in music.

Since his retirement from teaching in Truro in 1991, Ron has been very active as a clinician, adjudicator, conductor and composer throughout Canada and the Atlantic Provinces. Ron is Past-President of both the N. S. Band Association and the Canadian Band Association.

Semi-retired until this last year, his 80th year, R on was very active as a composer, arranger, conductor, clinician, and adjudicator up to the early fall of 2007. He received the "Music For Life" Award and attended a tribute weekend at the Gaelic College, hosted by the Second Wind Community Band of Cape Breton and his fellow Maritime community band members. Later in December 2007, he received the honour o f being presented the Roger Taylor Medal from the Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Myann Francis in Windsor, Nova Scotia.

Ron MacKay - Music For Life Award, and Musical Chair

For information on the Ron MacKay Music For Life Award and Ron's Musical Chair, please visit the Ron MacKay Awards page.

Ron MacKay Memorial Donations

Donations in memory of Ron may be made to the Ron MacKay 'Music for Life' Award. Please make checks payable to: NSBA Ron MacKay Award and forward to:

NSBA - Ron MacKay Award
c/o Kay Greene, Treasurer
3438 Hwy 215
Centre Burlington
Hants Co., NS
B0N 1E0

The NSBA will issue tax receipts as we are now a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Ron Links and Information

Ron Remembered: A Musical Memory to Ron MacKay

Obituary from The Chronicle Herald
Kenny MacKay - The show must go on
Truro mourns the loss of its Music Man
MacKay fondly remembered as finest school band teacher
Laura Mercer's eulogy from Ron's Memorial Service
Ken Foote's eulogy from Ron's Memorial Service

Ron MacKay Tribute - October 2007

Ron's interview with CBC broadcaster Wendy Bergfeldt. Excuse the quality as it was recorded from a broadcast over the internet. This is approximately an 18mb file - a 19 minute interview.

Selections from the final concert Ron conducted.

These photographs were taken at the Ron MacKay tribute hosted by the Second Wind Community Band in October 2007.