JANE MACKAY

JANE MACKAY 1938 ~ 2026

It is with sadness that we share the passing of Jane Constance MacKay (nee Wonnacott) on Monday May 4, 2026. Jane was born September 30, 1938, in Ottawa, to Tony and Ollie Wonnacott. The family followed RCMP postings across Canada, living in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Kamloops and accelerating her education to the point where she earned a B. Sc. from the University of British Columbia in 1958 at the age of 19. Jane was a trail blazer – she entered graduate studies at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, where she was the first graduate student ever trained in the Microbiology Department. She stayed on as Lab Lecturer after her M.Sc. graduation in 1961. She married a medical student, John “Sandy” MacKay, in 1964, followed by the appearance of sons Bruce (1966) and Douglas (1969). The young family then moved to Medicine Hat in 1970 so Sandy could begin a lengthy medical career in ophthalmology.

Jane had the knack of connecting with people and making them feel at ease. The Crescent Heights circle of friends from Eleventh Avenue and the Bridge Club were two early and durable passions of hers. She lent a hand wherever the boys went, acting as a leader at Cubs and a band booster. She was also actively involved in the 1970 expansion of the YM/YWCA, the Medicine Hat College Board, the Medicine Hat College Foundation, the Rotary Foundation, and the local Rotary Music Festival throughout her life.

She was drawn to ceramic arts in the ‘70s, blazing trails again from a small “studio” next to the laundry chute in the basement of her Crescent Heights home. She became part of a community of kiln-sharing ceramicists oriented on the College’s Cultural Center and became an early driving force behind the establishment of the Friends of Medalta. It is fair to say that she was instrumental in forming and achieving the early vision for resurrecting the site as a national resource for the ceramic arts, and she was still giving tours to visitors, tourists, school groups, anyone curious about the site’s history.

She leaves behind Sandy, her husband of 61 years, sons Bruce (Jodi; Houston) and Douglas (Amanda; Calgary), grandchildren Nelson, Norah, Lauren and Noelle. She held a special place in her heart for Flathead Lake, in Montana. Jane is also remembered by countless friends and fellow community builders from the many circles she navigated in Medicine Hat over a lifetime of always seeking something new, something to build, something to share, some way to help. Donations to the Friends of Medalta would have pleased her hugely! The family is very grateful to the ward staff of St. Joseph’s Home and 4W for their caring professionalism.

A come and go celebration of her life will be held in the Reception Gallery at MEDALTA, IN THE HISTORIC CLAY DISTRICT (713 Medalta Ave SE, Medicine Hat) on Friday, July 10, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m.

To leave a message of condolence you may visit www.pattisonfuneralhome.com.

PATTISON FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORIUM 540 South Railway St. SE, Medicine Hat T1A 4C2