Donations to help honour life of Kenzie King

On Jan. 22, 2021 the lives of the family and friends of MacKenzie “Kenzie” Austin Drew King, 25, of Niagara-on-the-Lake, were thrown into darkness, as he tragically passed away from a car accident while on his way to work.  

Blakely, his sister, and Tom, his father, have set up a GoFundMe page in memory of Kenzie to raise money for a Parks Canada bench and tree in his name, a goalie hockey award in his honour, as well as donations to the Niagara Falls Humane Society, as Kenzie leaves behind his beloved dog Chevy.  

Blakely recalls that as a child Kenzie’s favourite film growing up was Toy Story, which he would watch over and over again, clutching his favourite yellow “blankie” in one hand and Woody doll in another. Right before our eyes, Kenzie grew into a 6’1” handsome, bright, blue-eyed, freckly young man. Kenzie was a quick-witted, smart, friendly, funny, kindhearted, creative, and free-spirited person. He had a heart of gold who showed his love and admiration through his art whether it was writing songs, or woodworking.  Kenzie was a social butterfly who conversed freely with anyone and was always willing to lend a hand, known by many for his beaming smile.   

His father Tom recalls that Kenzie would love to watch their neighbour tinker with his sailboat and so came his interest in sailing at the NOTL sailing camp. His second home was the water.   

Kenzie attended NOTL schools, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Michael, and Parliament Oak, excelling in basketball and soccer. He was an excellent team player and stand-out goalie with the NOTL Wolves.  

In recent years, Kenzie had been working for QBM repairing conveyor belts and travelling extensively as a Splicer Technician on the Canadian Steamship Lines.   

Music was another love of his. Kenzie’s favourite artists were rapper Travis Scott and Toronto-based band, the Bahamas, where he would be seen dancing in the aisles at Jackson-Triggs, twirling around his girlfriend Emily.  

Kenzie was also an avid traveler, spending many of his summer vacations traveling all across the globe with his sister Blakely, stepbrother Colton, and favourite uncle Peter. This past September, Kenzie traveled to the Maritimes, citing it was one of his most memorable trips.   

His favourite places in the world were his Uncle Bill’s cottage in Muskoka and his mother’s farm in Ridgeway, Ontario. His mother now resides in New Brunswick.

“Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.” - Mother Teresa.  

A thank you from friends and family who would greatly appreciate any donations given to the GoFundMe page (GoFundMe.com - type Mackenzie King in the search bar) - to honour the life of our dearest Kenzie.

Paul Jacot is a writer and journalist, and a friend of Tom King and the family.