Shirley Mackie

Shirley Mackie October 25, 1929 August 15, 2015 Shirley Mackie, 85, longtime Wacoan, beloved music teacher, and accomplished composer, was embraced by our Lord and Savior and welcomed into the realm of our Heavenly Father on August 15, 2015. Her life will be honored at a private graveside memorial service at Waco Memorial Park. Miss Mackie was born in Rockdale, Texas to John R. Mackie and Marie Mackie on October 25, 1929 and lived in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, until her family moved to Waco in 1936. Educated in Waco Public Schools, she played clarinet, alto saxophone, French horn, and bass viola in school bands, orchestras and chamber groups. She was also student conductor of such groups from ages eleven to sixteen, played first chair clarinet in all those school organizations as well as first chair clarinet in the Texas All-State Band, and won 35 first-place medals in Texas Music Educators solo and ensemble contests. She attended Louisiana State University Baton Rouge on a music scholarship and was principal clarinetist with the symphony orchestra. From LSU she received undergraduate and graduate degrees with majors in clarinet performance and composition. In 1953 she served as program director for The Aspen Institute of Music. After several years of teaching in Texas public schools and colleges and studying abroad, she returned to Waco in 1959 to pioneer a music program for the McLennan County Department of Education. In addition to setting up public school music curricula, she started instrumental music in elementary schools to develop school bands. She established a private music studio, was founder/conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Waco, served as principal clarinetist of the Waco Symphony Orchestra, served as band/orchestra chairman for TMTA, as Student Affiliate and Young Artist chairman for WMTA, concertised with a chamber trio, and participated in university sponsored seminars as guest composer. After being named "Teacher of the Year" in 1968, she limited her work with schools to the teaching and performance of instrumental music where she introduced experimental music on the high school level by composing a number of such works for her own wind and percussion students as well as for multi-piano ensembles. As a young composer, she received numerous performance and monetary awards. In mid-life, she accepted commissions for mostly large works Requiem, Symphony, Ballet, etc., and was named a Texas Archival Composer in the early 1970's. After retiring from teaching in 1978, she composed at her leisure and pursued numerous other interests, including travel, photography and leathercraft. Shirley was named LSU School of Music Alumnus of the Year in 2000 and wrote several articles on music and the teaching and performance of music for several music journals. In 2001 she was named "Distinguished Graduate of Waco High School" by the WISD Foundation. Shirley influenced the lives of many with her gentle instruction in clarinet and suffered through countless auditions and recitals. While her friends and former students added much richness to her life along with many wonderful memories that she often shared, her love of animals large and small played an especially meaningful role in her life. Shirley will be remembered for her dual legacy of human lives influenced and animal lives saved. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Central Texas. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WHBfamily.com.