Lois Jean Mackay

Lois "Jean" Mackay of Anaconda passed away in her home, surrounded by family on December 12th, 2017. She was 86 years old. Jean was born in Duluth Minnesota on July 2, 1931 to Felix and Pauline Tarnowski. She was the youngest of three children. As a young girl in Minnesota, Jean was a dancer, a figure skater and she loved skiing. She graduated from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth Minnesota in 1953 and began her teaching career. In 1955, she met an insurance adjuster named Conde Mackay, (an Anaconda boy) on a blind date in Hibbing, Minnesota. The couple married the following year and in 1957 started their family with the birth of their first daughter, Connie. As the couple moved from Minnesota, to Great Falls, Montana, to Seattle, Washington they added four more children to their family. In 1966, the couple returned to Conde's hometown of Anaconda, Montana where they added two more children to complete the family. Anaconda became their forever home. Jean devoted her life to raising the children, while Conde was the bread winner. In 1976 after the youngest entered school, Jean began substitute teaching in the Anaconda School District, which she continued until 1997. Jean made the most of her life in the Anaconda Community. She liked skiing and loved golfing. She was an active member of the Anaconda Catholic Community and the hospital auxiliary. Jean really enjoyed her bridge night with her bridge group, beware the child that interrupted! She played pinochle and loved to challenge her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to King's in the Corners or cribbage. Jean was also a two-time cancer survivor, and through this diagnosis her children learned the importance of humor in dealing with life's challenges. Jean was preceded in death by her loving husband of 51 years Conde Mackay, her brother Earl Tarnowski (Doris Tarnowski) and sister Connie Riordan (Jim Riordan) and a nephew Michael Riordan. She is survived by her seven children; Connie Reber, Kevin (Cheryl) Mackay, Chris Mackay, Kathy (Greg) Ryan, Colleen (Kevin) Watson, Kim Mackay, Carolyn (Rich) Miller; 22 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, both in Texas and her beloved Minnesota. Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at Holy Family Church with the Rosary at 6:30 p.m. and the Vigil at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, December 15, 2017 at Holy Family Church. There will be one hour of visitation prior to the service. Interment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery with a luncheon to follow at Holy Family Church. Memorials can be made to Pintler Hospice, 118 E. 7th St., Anaconda, MT 59711 or spend a day in the company of a nursing home resident or memory care resident. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and she will be missed! She taught us the importance of humor, love and compassion. "Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch" Judy Blume

Visitation

DEC 14. 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Holy Family Catholic Church 217 W. Pennsylvania Ave.

Rosary

DEC 14. 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM (MST)

Holy Family Catholic Church 217 W. Pennsylvania Ave Anaconda, MT 59711

Vigil

DEC 14. 7:00 PM

Holy Family Catholic Church 217 W. Pennsylvania Ave.

Visitation

DEC 15. 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Holy Family Catholic Church 217 W. Pennsylvania Ave.

Mass of Christian Burial

DEC 15. 10:30 AM

Holy Family Catholic Church 217 W. Pennsylvania Ave.