Murphy Grady (MG) McKenzie, Jr., age 89, of Orrum, NC, died early Monday morning, September 12th, at Wesley Pines Retirement Community.

A celebration of MG's life will be held Sunday, October 16, 3:00 PM in the Wesley Pines Fellowship Hall, followed by a reception with the family.  A private burial service will be held at the Lawson Cemetery in Orrum.

MG was born September 12, 1927 in Scotland County (Laurinburg) and grew up on his family's farm in Orrum. He graduated from Orrum High School '44 and NC State University '52 where he was member of the honor fraternity Alpha Zeta and Kappa Phi Kappa. He worked for the NC Department of Agriculture 1954-1987. MG loved his country and served in the US military for 30 years including the US Army, Air Force and Air National Guard. He was a member of First Baptist Church Lumberton and former member of Mt. Elim Baptist Church. MG enjoyed square dancing and RV travels. Gardening and beekeeping were favorite hobbies and he loved sharing his watermelons and honey with friends and family. MG really enjoyed living at Wesley Pines, where he was known as "the candy man" because he always had a pocketful of chocolates to share.

He was predeceased by his parents, Murphy and Mittie Lawson McKenzie and his sister, Sara McKenzie Hunter.

MG is survived by his two daughters: Barbara McKenzie-Tervo of Wilmington, NC and Julie Jones of Greenville, NC; their spouses, Jay Tervo and Steve Jones; three grandchildren, Ashley Ware of Houston, TX, Benton Jones of Leeds, England and Caroline Tervo of Cambridge, MA.; nieces, Anne Hunter and Beckie Hunter of Cambridge, MA; Elizabeth Hunter and her daughter Alice of Somerville, MA.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial tributes be made to the Wesley Pines Benevolent Fund, 1000 Wesley Pines Road, Lumberton, NC 28358 or the Boys and Girls Home of NC at Lake Waccamaw, 400 Flemington Drive , PO Box 127, Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450.