Norman Mackenzie
It was with great sadness that we learned of the sudden and untimely death of Norman Mackenzie on Wednesday 4 May 2011.
Norman was a keen supporter of ERDWN. He will be sorely missed for his wealth of knowledge and his commitment to improve the lives of disabled people.
Below are some comments received by ERDWN members.
From Farkhanda Chaudhry
Norman was always willing to help and muck in whenever required.
He was a highly intelligent and diligent individual and I will miss him a lot.
From Russell Macmillan
A wonderful man that tried to help raise the standard for so many vulnerable people within our community. Norman's great abilities,knowledge, patience and decency is a very sad loss for East Renfrewshire.
From Kofi Tordzro
On the night of 1 May 2011, while flying from Accra, Ghana to Amsterdam, Norman came to my mind. Little did I know at the time that I would not meet him again, on my return to Scotland.
My earliest memories of Norman relate to working with him on an inter-departmental team, shortly after he joined the Council. Over a period of two years we liaised with the Refarhey Care Council, a local community organisation set up to provide care services to the Muslim community. He and John Phillips ably represented the Social Work department during that period, building long-lasting relationships with the Muslim community by dint of their amiable and credible personalities. This was followed by many years working together as equality officers for the Council. When, as Chair of Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance, I approached him to support that organisation, he willingly went on secondment, seeing it as an opportunity to deepen his knowledge of race-related issues. He served that organisation without fear or favour, gaining the respect of staff and Board alike and making some life-long friends in the process.
Norman belonged to that small group in local government today who work seamlessly between local government and the voluntary sector due to having experienced work in both sectors. His natural commitment to social justice fuelled his passion for public service. On many occasions he dared to take his department into uncharted waters in the service of local people. On some of those occasions he was, effectively a lonely ambassador, without full official credentials, enhancing the reputation of his department through his dedication, commitment and hard work. He brought to his work, a wealth of knowledge, an insatiable desire to learn, a natural affinity with the web, absolute approachability, abundant humility and limitless energy for hard work.
Norman was at his best when serving others but not very good in selling himself. Indeed he was very uncomfortable talking about his strengths in an interview. Such was his humility that he was caught off guard when complimented on his selfless devotion and good deeds. I recall a number of occasions seeing tears in his eyes when I thanked him in public for his significant contributions to our work in equalities.
In many ways, our Norman was a one-off who cannot be replaced but as we mourn his passing, we also have the opportunity to be led by the light he shone on good public service devoid of self-ambition.