Welcome!

Remembering Mike McKenzie, creator of this website.

Darla Grinstead McKenzie (September 14, 1956 – January 28, 2025)

Michael Alan McKenzie (September 4, 1952 – January 28, 2025)

Darla and Michael McKenzie of Mountain Park, GA passed away together on January 28, 2025. Devoted partners for nearly 48 years, they built a life filled with love, family, and friendship, and their impact will be felt for years to come.

Married on May 27, 1977, they raised three children: Katherine Johnson (41), Patrick McKenzie (39), and Colin McKenzie (32). They are also survived by Darla’s mother, Barbara Grinstead, six siblings, two grandchildren, multiple nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Mike McKenzie graduated from Georgia Tech in 1974, where he played defensive back on their football team, and earned his juris doctorate from Mercer University in 1977. As a lawyer, he spent much of his career at Cozen O’Connor, specializing in arson insurance law, and retired in 2015. A skilled litigator and compassionate advocate, he dedicated much of his time to pro bono work with the Innocence Project, where his expertise in arson cases led to the exoneration of numerous wrongfully convicted individuals. Those who knew him admired his sharp legal mind, deep sense of justice, and commitment to mentorship. Outside of his legal work, Mike was a dedicated Scout leader for many years and an avid backpacker. He also had a passion for antique radio restoration, carefully bringing old pieces of history back to life. Further, Mike conducted extensive genealogy research for many years, eventually publishing a book titled The McKenzies of Early Maryland.

Darla McKenzie graduated from Wesleyan College in 1977 and earned her juris doctorate from Emory University in 1980. She was a highly respected partner at the Atlanta law firm Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, where she built a career in real estate law, and retired in 2019. Colleagues remember her as an extraordinary mentor, a wise advisor, and a steadfast friend. She was known not only for her intelligence and impeccable judgment but also for her warmth and generosity. Darla was deeply involved in her community, volunteering at the local library and sharing her love of books with others. She also found joy in quilting, a craft that reflected her patience, creativity, and attention to detail.

Together, Darla and Mike shared a love of hiking and traveling, always seeking new experiences and adventures. Their journeys took them around the world and led to many cherished moments and new friendships.

Their loss is deeply felt by their family, friends, colleagues, and all who were fortunate to know them. Their legacies—of dedication to their work, their family, and the greater good—will continue to inspire those they left behind.

Mike's book, The McKenzies of Early Maryland, can be accessed for free here or a physical copy may be purchased here.

Mike's last website update:

Every tree grows from a single seed. For the McKenzies of Early Maryland, that seed was John MacKinzie (born 1687, died 1758), one of the first McKenzies to emigrate (most probably) from Scotland and populate the shores of the Maryland colony. His six children added sturdy branches to the family tree, which in turn sprouted numerous branches the past 334 years. Although this site originally was intended to be the family genealogical web site of Michael A. McKenzie, who traces his lineage to John through his son, Gabriel (b. abt. 1715), it quickly morphed into a collaborative effort of serious McKenzie genealogists whose goal was to separate fact from fiction with respect to the family's early roots. Since then, it has evolved into an effort to capture data on ALL Maryland McKenzies who descend from John. There is no need to register for a user account or to log in (those features do not work). Just start by typing a name in the boxes in the lower right-hand corner and begin to explore. You might want to try variations of the "McKenzie" surname since multiple spellings have been used over the past three centuries. Please consider purchasing the McKenzies of Early Maryland, which can be acquired by clicking on the link on the right hand side of this page. The book extensively discusses the first three generations of the McKenzies of Early Maryland, other chapters discuss a variety of topics including whether the Maryland McKenzies descend from Collin MacKenzie (b. 1630) (they do not) (Chapter 5), the current status of McKenzie DNA analysis (Chapter 8), the military service of hundreds of McKenzies (Chapter 9), the location of the original McKenzie property (Chapter 3) and the migration of early McKenzies from the vicinity of Baltimore to western Maryland and beyond. Currently, the McKenzies of Early Maryland genealogical database contains over 59,000 names of Maryland McKenzies (and various spelling variations) and their relations, in addition to over 5,000 documents and thousands of obituaries. Although the McKenzie Research Group has striven to make certain all information is correct, there is always a possibility an error may have occurred. You'll also want to visit Don Kagle's Ancestry site "Family Tree Project 1" which also contains information on the McKenzies of Early Maryland. Don can be reached at K80don@aol.com. - Michael A. McKenzie, July 18, 2024