Kenneth McKay

Obituary - Probably Toronto Star

NOTED NEWSPAPERMAN KENNETH MCKAY DIES

Kenneth Mc Kay, for forty years one of the best-known newspapermen in Toronto died Saturday at his residence on Glengrove Ave. He has been sill since he suffered from a heart attack in late January.

The paths of the newspaper profession which he adopted as soon as he left school led Ken McKay into extensive travel and into contact with the great men of the British Commonwealth and the world. Shortly before his last illness he commented humorously on a trans-Canada tour with Winston Churchill comparing the somewhat irascible “rebel” Conservative of those days with the masterly world figure of today.

The scope of his newspaper experience was broad. He had been a parliamentary reported at Ottawa and Queen’s Park and covered many of the biggest news breaks of the past half century all over the continent and had toured with the political giants of his generation of all parties.

He was best known perhaps in the municipal filed of years ago in Toronto when the city hall was a daily battle ground and the great issues of public ownership power and transportation were being fought. Men like Sir Adam Beck, Sir William Hearst, T.L> Church, Home Smith, C Alfred Maguire, R.J> Fleming, John O’Neill, Dr. F.A. Gaby, E.C. Drury, George St. Henry and their associates and contemporaries were his personal friends and remained so regardless of political vicissitudes or the attitude of the newspaper he served at the time.

AUTHORITY ON COURTS

He turned later to court work, on which he became an authority and when stricken in January was in his office at Osgooode Hall from which he furnished compete coverage of that important centre for both evening newspapers.

Ken McKay was born at Orangeville, Dec 16, 1878. HE attended the public and high schools in that town and there met and chummed with another Orangeville boy, Wilfred Bowles, now chief of the press bureau at the city hall. Their friendship continued through 40 years of newspaper work.

Mr. McKay served apprenticeship on the Dufferin Post. For some time he ran the Dufferin advertiser from which he went for a short period in newspaper work in eastern Ontario.

JOINED STAR STAFF IN 1919

HE came to Toronto to join the staff of the Evening Telegram. Following many years there he became a member of the Toronto Star staff in June of 1919. And had so remained. He was a great student of Shakespeare and with his friend Will Bolses made a hobby of history. Fellow-workers sought their help constantly for quotations or dates and their individual and sometimes combined efforts at parodies of literature and history were highlights of quieter moments in the working day.

In his early days Ken MccKay played lacrosse at Orangeville and always continued his lively interest in that Canadian game. His relaxation in later years had been fishing and gardening. A Roman Catholic he attended Blessed Sacrament church on north Yonge St.

Surviving besides Mrs. McKay, who formerly was Many Ann Roach of Campbellford are eight children:Mrs Ralph Gallimore, Mrs William Kirkwood, Mrs Frank Costelllo, and Mary, Kathleen, Eleanor McKay. Flying Officer Mr Edmund McKay overseas and Kenneth McKay of Toronto. One sister, Miss Emma of Orangeville; one brother Willis A McKay of Upland Calif and four grandchildren Joan Kirkwood, Kenneth and Theresa Gallimore and Carol-Ann Costello