From loss to legacy: A mother’s tribute to her son

Everyone who knew Jason McKenzie knew that he never met a stranger and that he loved his community and family, especially his wife Stephanie and his talented son, Patrick, who excels in one of Jason’s favorite passions – golf.

“He was always eager to listen and talk to people or find a common connection,” said Jason’s mother, Becky McKenzie. “He always saw the good in people, and I just want people to remember that.”

Jason, a valued member of the Augusta University family and the greater Augusta community, passed away when a plane he was piloting crashed on May 2, 2024. He was known to many as a committed public servant who supported his community both in his private life and through his role as an associate director of Philanthropy for Augusta University, with a focus on Jaguar Athletics. He was also a member of the Augusta University Birdie Club and the Augusta Country Club.

Through gifts from friends within his AU family and the greater Augusta community, the Jason McKenzie Memorial Golf Scholarship Endowment was created to ensure Jason’s name lives on, while also providing scholarships. The Jason McKenzie golf scholarship is intended to support student-athletes who demonstrate a commitment to community service and who share the characteristics that Jason exemplified, including compassion, humility, kindness and generosity.

Jason’s mother has generously planned an estate gift to support the Jason McKenzie Memorial Golf Scholarship.

“I just thought Jason would love that, and he would love to know that he had a part in bringing golfers to the school,” Becky said.

When asked what she thought Jason would say about the attention and funding this scholarship has generated, her response was simple.

“I think he would be humbled by it,” Becky replied. “If somebody said, ‘I’m doing this for you,’ he would just be very humble about it.”

She said she had no idea how many people’s lives Jason had touched. Even more than a year later, she still receives emails from people checking on the family, asking if they need anything and offering help. She feels a strong sense of gratitude to those who have reached out.

As an extension of her gratitude, she sends personal, handwritten thank you cards to everyone who contributes to Jason’s scholarship fund. Admittedly, one reason for sending thank you cards is out of politeness, but she also recognizes that a genuine, heartfelt thank you makes people feel appreciated.

“By donating to Jason’s fund, they help me, but it also helps just to keep a personal connection and to know how many people thought so highly of him,” Becky said. “We should be so fortunate that people think that much of us and that they would continue to remember and stay connected.”

Jason was a state champion golfer in high school and a collegiate athlete for Wallace Community College, where he was an all-American, and Mississippi State University.

“Golf is one of those athletic programs that doesn’t get a lot of scholarship money, and what they get has to be divided among the number of players they have,” explained Becky. “Coaches have to decide who gets what, and they try to divide it up so that everybody gets a part.”

She wants to make sure that Augusta University has the funding necessary to recruit the best players for both the men’s and women’s golf teams.

“I hope the community will see, by this gift, the positive things that will happen at Augusta University because the money was given for young people to be able to follow their dream and play golf,” Becky said. “That’s the main thing, and they can feel good about the money that they gave, that they have helped someone excel and move forward.”

If you would like to leave a legacy of your own or contribute to the Jason McKenzie Memorial Golf Scholarship Endowment, email Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement or call 706-721-4001.