I rise today to pay tribute to a close personal friend and a distinguished Arkansan who last week lost a courageous four and a half year battle with cancer.  His name was James H. McKenzie.

Jim McKenzie was born in my hometown of Prescott, Arkansas, in 1941.  After graduating from Prescott High School, he attended the University of Arkansas and was a member of Arkansas Razorback baseball team and the Student Senate and president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.  He then went on to get his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law and served two years on active duty as a Captain in the U.S. Army.

 Upon his discharge from active duty, Jim returned to Prescott to practice law.  As an attorney, he quickly earned the respect of the legal community and became a leader in the Arkansas Bar Association, serving many capacities including president.  He fulfilled appointments to several committees of the Arkansas Supreme Court and, in 1998, was named outstanding lawyer by the Arkansas Bar.  

In our hometown of Prescott, to say that Jim was a respected and notable citizen would be an understatement.  He was a pillar in our community.  Jim served as president or chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce, the hospital board, and the Kiwanis Club.  He was a lifelong, active member of the First United Methodist Church, where he was my Sunday school teacher.  He was also a youth sponsor in the church, and he even coached Little League baseball.

Jim McKenzie truly exemplified the ideal of a public citizen.  Throughout his life, he was a leader who never hesitated to give his time and energy to help others.  For me personally, he was a role model growing up and an inspiration throughout my public service.  I am grateful for all he did for our family and for his fellow citizens, and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to call him a friend.  His death is an enormous loss not only to those who knew him well, but also to our community and to our state.

My heart goes out especially to Jim’s wife, Betty, their two daughters, Kris and Miki, and their five grandchildren as they deal with the pain of this difficult loss, and I am keeping all of them in my thoughts and prayers.  While Jim may no longer be with us, his legacy and his spirit will always live on in all those whose lives he touched.