Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott loses "gentleman" with passing of Jim McKenzie part 2

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor said McKenzie was much like his father  kind hearted, warm and very hospitable.

"Without hesitation," Taylor said, "I can call him a very dear friend. He always had time to visit and discuss happenings in the city.

"Before he became ill, and even during his illness, he was an early walker. Numerous times I would meet him and the dog walking at daybreak. He never failed to wave or have a kind word. Occasionally I would stop the car and we would have a short visit.

"He loved Prescott and its people, and, speaking for myself, I think the feeling was reciprocal. A very dedicated citizen has departed our midst for a better place."

Barry Barber, an attorney with the McKenzie firm, said McKenzie was active in the Arkansas Bar Association and was ABA president in 1991-92.

"He loved bar association activities," Barber said, "and this is a great loss to Arkansas, and Prescott in particular.

Barber said McKenzie was one of the finest lawyers in the state, as evidenced by his being president of the ABA, and receiving the ABA award in 1998 as its Outstanding Attorney.

"He was a great person," Barber said. "Anyone who knew him knew he was the quintessential southern gentleman, just like his father, Horace.

"He'd go out of his way to help anyone. We'll miss him very much."

McKenzie, Barber said, taught him the ropes and how to be a lawyer, as he did several young attorneys. "He was the perfect person to learn from."

McKenzie was active in his church, a good father and husband, Barber said. He was active in the community.

"We all knew he was sick, but didn't expect anything this sudden," Barber said. "He was a fine person and will be missed by everyone."

The offices of McKenzie, McRae, Barber and Vasser were closed Monday in his honor.

McKenzie was born Sept. 26, 1941 in Prescott. He graduated from Prescott High School and earned his BSBA degree from the University of Arkansas in 1963, and his LLB degree in 1966 from the UA School of Law.

While at the UA, McKenzie was the co-editor of the Arkansas Law Review, a member and president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and a member of the Blue Key.

He also served on the student senate and was in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), along with being a member of the Razorback baseball team.

McKenzie served in the U.S. Army for two years, being discharged in 1968 as a captain.

He returned to private practice with his father's firm in Prescott, and at the time of his death was the senior partner of McKenzie, McRae, Vasser and Barber.

As an attorney, McKenzie stressed and promoted ethics and moral conduct.

Along with being a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, he was a member of the American Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers. In addition, he was on the Arkansas Bar Foundation Board of Directors, and a member of its trust committee.

McKenzie also fulfilled appointments from the Arkansas Supreme Court to the Arkansas Model Jury Instructions Committee, the Supreme Court Committee on Professional Responsibility, the Judicial Article Committee and was a special justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1984 and 1990.

McKenzie was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Prescott, where he taught Sunday school, was a youth sponsor and served in various other capacities.

He served as president of the Prescott-Nevada Chamber of Commerce, was chairman of the Nevada County Hospital Board of Governors and also coached Little League baseball.