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David MacKinnon

Friday, October 20, 2006

Longtime resident of Flagstaff, David John MacKinnon, 62, died Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006, of complications related to cancer.

He was born on Sept. 23, 1944, at a naval station in Lake Charles, La., to Bud MacKinnon of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Gloria Benson of Salt Lake City. Mr. MacKinnon spent the first nine years of his life in Salt Lake City and then moved with his family to Fresno, Calif. He received his bachelor's degree in physics and math from California State College in Fresno, and both his master's degree in meteorology and his Ph.D. in atmospheric science from the University of Arizona. While studying for his Ph.D., he was an avid hiker, vegetarian and competitive cyclist at the state level. Mr. MacKinnon was an environmentalist and a proponent of alternative energy. The strong, stubborn, red-headed, red-bearded Scot arrived in Flagstaff about 1975 to work at the Museum of Northern Arizona as a researcher in the thermal response of passive solar energy and in 1978 authored a book titled "The Solar Greenhouse" published by Rodale Press, Inc.

He began working as a physical scientist with the Flagstaff Astrogeology Team of the U.S. Geological Survey in 1980 and continued working there until his death. His USGS specialties were remote sensing detection and modeling of dust emission, investigation on the evolution of wind landforms on Mars and terrestrial global climate-change studies.

Mr. MacKinnon is remembered as an amazingly strong spirit with a vivid and honest personality. He built his first passive solar home by hand without electricity in Doney Park (shoveling his own foundation excavation), used wood he either recycled himself from old homes or logs carried down the Mount Elden fire site on his back, bricks he helped pay for by working evenings at Block-Lite, while living the entire time he built in an old Sears shed. He enjoyed running marathons and 10K races. He was truth-telling soul and a dear friend to many. He loved to joke, build walls, play his native-American flute, talk philosophy, hike, ride bikes, attend group and be gregarious.

Mr. MacKinnon was married to Mary Chapman of Flagstaff from 1984 to 2004, and he is survived by their daughter Alana Mae MacKinnon.

Mr. MacKinnon requested no special services. The family suggests any memorial donations be sent to the American Cancer Society.

Arrangements are by Norvel Owens Mortuary.

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