John "Johnny" Curtis Mackey was born to B.C. Mackey, Jr., and Ella Carlton Mackey on October 23, 1944, in Austin, Texas, only because B.C. was stationed nearby.  The Mackeys hastily remedied the error by leaving burnt orange in their rear view and returning to the Land of Crimson and Cream, living for a short stint in Holdenville before ultimately settling in Lawton in 1950.

Johnny learned at an early age how to keep himself and those who surrounded him entertained. He had a love of fiction, particularly westerns and mysteries, both in print and on film, and could recap every plot of every show he ever watched and name every actor in them. He loved to tell us that scheduled start times of movies in the old days really didn't matter, as he simply went into the theater whenever he got there, usually somewhere in the middle of the story, and then stayed to watch the end and through the next showing until the point in the story where he walked in, and then he'd leave. It wasn't uncommon for him to sit through several showings of a film if either the story was really good or the weather particularly bad.

Johnny was an avid sportsman and true fan of healthy competition. He loved to both play and watch every game and sport imaginable, and knew all of the rules as well as the history of and reasoning behind each of them. Throughout his childhood, he participated in every sporting activity available, particularly excelling at doubles tennis. He played the trumpet in the school band and entertained many with the beautiful voice and piano skills which would soon become his trademark. In college, he continued his practice of taking advantage of every opportunity to have a good time, playing poker and bridge or shooting pool with friends into the wee hours. He was once the intramural snooker champion at Cameron. He also won many target shooting competitions over the years for the clay pigeon disciplines of trap and skeet. Though he loved to participate in shooting sports, endurance cycling, tennis, and golf, his favorite sporting activity was catch and release fishing, a pastime he enjoyed with both friends and his children.

Though he definitely had his favorite teams and, in fact, refused to own a single orange shirt, he followed rival teams just as closely. His fascinating ability to analyze all aspects of a sport, coupled with the knowledge that physical prowess comes second to mental acuity, complemented beautifully with his patient demeanor and inherent teaching ability, allowed him to be an inspiring coach, instructor, and mentor. He was more proud of the accomplishments of those he was able to teach than any of his own.

Johnny was an eesteemed member of the Lawton High School Class of 1962, a graduate of Cameron University in 1964, honored as the outstanding military graduate of the University of Oklahoma in 1966, and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1969. While at OU, he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.

After law school, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army, spending his first six months stationed at Fort Ord, California. In 1970, after being awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service and promoted to the rank of Captain, he was transferred to Long Binh Post in Dong Nai Province just outside Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, where he was a certified defense counsel for soldiers detained in the infamous Long Binh Jail.  Upon his discharge from the Army in late May of 1971, he was awarded the Bronze Star.

Just three days (!) after his return from Vietnam, he spotted a "movie star" crossing the street in downtown Lawton. She turned out to be his old friend, Susan Hillis, whose stunning glamour was rivaled only by her brain.  On December 18, 1971, Johnny got to marry the smartest, funniest, kindest woman on the planet. Between the two of them, there wasn't anything they didn't know, so much so that they were barred from being on the same team when playing Trivial Pursuit with friends. It was oddly common for the phone to ring late into the evening, some friend on the other line with a question about history or sports or pop culture, and true to form, Johnny and Susan were always able to answer. Just as they did every evening, the night before he died, Johnny and Susan were watching "Jeopardy!", and, as she had done hundreds of times before, Susan correctly answered all of the questions. He looked across at her and said, "You're still the smartest person I've ever met." Theirs was a love and mutual admiration their children aspire to mimic.

With his marriage to Susan, he became a dad to Amanda. Two years after they wed, they welcomed Megan, and four-and-a-half years to the day later, Baby John (Jack) bounced in. The day Jack was born became the day "23" was declared Johnny's favorite number, as he, Megan, and Jack were all born on the 23rd day of the month. Both kids were incredibly close to their father and the three shared a special connection. There is no doubt that the number 23 is magical.

Johnny was an honest, fiercely loyal man who endeavored to raise his children to be hardworking, charitable people. He exposed them to the arts, sports, and the law. He also taught them how to play every kind of game imaginable. When they were little, he showed them how to set up and play "war" in their long hallway, overturning card tables to create makeshift shields and utilizing formal dining table leaves as platforms upon which they would stand Star Wars and GI Joe action figures to shoot with rubber darts. Susan would always say "Just one more battle and then it's bedtime," so he showed them how to rig the soldiers so that a couple of them were virtually impenetrable, allowing the game to continue far longer.

He strove to pass on to his children and grandchildren everything he knew, always quizzing them afterward to make sure they "got it." In 1995, Megan became Johnny's legal assistant, and in 2003, Jack followed him into the practice of law. Conversations about legal procedure and current affairs were part of daily life, and there was rarely a dull moment when the Mackeys were within shouting distance of one another.

Like a dream, he shuffled off this mortal coil resting in the loving arms of his most favorite human, Susan, on December 20, 2020.

Johnny was preceded in death by his loving parents, B.C. and Ella; Susan's parents, Fay and Dorothy Hillis; brother-in-law Richard Strait; nieces Dorothy Lynn Montague-Mitchell and Kelly Montague Britton-Surls; and too many dear lifelong friends.  Missing him forever are his beloved wife of 49 years and 49 hours, Susan; son John "Jack" Mackey, Jr., and adored daughter-in-law Lisa; daughter Megan Leigh "Mo" Pool and revered son-in-law Richard; daughter Amanda "Mandy" Halbrooks and son-in-law Kent; grandchildren Zane Breedlove, Evan Breedlove, Ella Jane Mackey, Georgia Lynn Mackey, Travis Pool and granddaughter-in-law Tanja, Trevor Pool, Tanner Pool, Lauren "Jess" Halbrooks, Jackson Halbrooks, and Jordan Halbrooks; great grandson Jameson Pool; sister Janis Chaconas and her husband Billy; sister Sue Ann Saffa and her husband Chuck; brother-in-law Robert Hillis and his wife Sally; sister-in-law Sharon Strait; brother-in-law David Hillis; a host of nieces and nephews and several special cousins.

He never missed an opportunity to express his adoration for Susan and the kids, and he likewise was keenly aware how absolutely and deeply loved he was. Every song he ever sang was dedicated to them. The world got to hear it, but it was for them, and they know it. Consequently, his family has no regrets about words unspoken or deeds undone.

Because Johnny's life was so dutifully lived in altruistic service to others, not only did he absolutely *not* desire accolades, but he believed them to be inconsistent with his works.  So immeasurably grand are his contributions that no amount of pomp and circumstance is ever going to be adequate.  His was the most comforting voice in times of distress, gifting hundreds, if not thousands, of grieving widows and orphans with the warmth of peaceful acceptance. Nobody could command a funeral like John Mackey. His family knows it. You all do, too.

His family's final tribute includes quietly ushering him out of the limelight, as his work providing comfort to the grieving has concluded. They will continue to mourn their loss privately, forgoing a formal service to instead honor his most favorite of all pastimes, hanging out with them.  They invite you to honor him by holding your own loved ones extra close as you ring in the new year.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ella Mackey Starduster Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that raises funds for local middle school music education.  These donations may be sent in care of Megan Mackey Pool, 6108 SE 60th St, Lawton, OK 73501.