Death of Hugh McKay

MurrayE

Member
Just received a phone call from Jim Rogers,
( Dartmouth, N.S.) of the passing of Hugh last evening. Hugh apparently died from cancer. Not much information available as of this time. Prephaps if Jim is on the internet in this program can give additional information as it becomes available. Hughie gave a lot of advice on Farmall/International equipment, some indepth discussion's at times We all sent our condolences to the family. Prayer's for the Family, Murray
 
My heartfelt condolences to the family of Hugh McKay.

I feel like I have lost another Grandfather !

His knowledge of this hobby came through without ever being haughty !
His love of the farm style of life showed in his country way of helping strangers !
His friendship will be missed by hundreds of people here, and thousands who knew him personally and he greated daily.

Hugh, now, if I know your manner, you can tell Cyrus McCormick and those who came after him, how to fix the little things they missed. You will do it in the polite, gentle way, that was HUGH MCKAY.
 
Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that. I've been reading his posts for years, and even though I never met him I came to feel like I knew him. He was a really knowledgeable and giving guy, and sounded like he had a colorful and interesting life. I'm truly going to miss seeing his name on the forum, and reading of his experiences.
 
Another of the great ones has passed on.

Hugh has helped me on different subjects and berated me when I deserved it. He was informative and corrective.

He will be missed. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

My condolences to his family.

Joe
 
Hugh stopped by the farm a couple of times for a visit when he was in the area, he was a welcomed guest, great knowledge of farming abd machinery..more importantly he was a friendly genuine human being..I'm shocked to read this but had wondered why he hadn't posted lately
My condolences to his wife and family
 
I always enjoyed reading Hugh McKay's posts, and he is certainly someone whom I would have liked to have met. My condolences to his family.
 
I have been concerned about him for the last few days has he has not posted in a while.
I liked and appreciated Hugh's knowledge and honesty.
He stood up for what he believed in and he did it with repect and kindness.
Blessings to his family.
Dell
 
Hugh reponded to my first post on this board many years ago. I read this forum daily and will miss him. RIP Hugh
 
Thank goodness for the archives. We can seaarch for Hugh and read his posts again. He will live on through this site. RIP Hugh.

Gordo
 
Wow.(sad)
A true icon in this forum.He had assisted me many times in my 140 restoration
R.I.P. Hugh

My condolences to his family

Randy In Iowa
 
Boy, it isn't often that I read something here that rocks me back in my chair. Words cannot describe it. There will be a hole here, in fact has been for a while, that will never be completely filled. When you think of it, there is no one currently on the forum who is quite like him. Warm, gruff, informative, helpful. Years ago he wanted to stop by and visit as he was often in my area. I was new to the forum and, well, it was the internet and I did not know him. So I politely put him off. That was my very great loss from all accounts. My condolences to his family. My condolences to the forum. God bless, Hugh.
 
So shocked and upset to here the sad news. Hugh and I often chsted about UK built tractors etc. My condolences to his family. MJ
 
I was shocked to read this post and saddened, having no idea Hugh had such health problems. I did a quick modern view archive search and found this board's IHC 'Tractor Guru' joined on October 24, 2001... is this ironic or what? and tallied 4,363 posts. A man of the farm, who fiercely held to his opinion and wasn't afraid of giving it, but just the same, would admit a mistake he made. Years back I recall posters stating he has maybe forgotten more that many posters will know regarding tractors. I hope his daughter Heather will find and take the time to check in on this board in the sad days ahead...I'm sure she will...and convey my, along with the rest of this board's posters, our sincere sympathy to Hugh's better half Marq - Hugh often times referred to his wife that way - and to Heather, other children and family also There are grandchildren who, fortunate as they were for a few years to get 'tactor' rides, will surely miss those times. Tears in my eyes, this is tough, who could have imagined 20 years ago feeling such a kinship to someone, not having met them, who shared part of his life with others, on an object called a computer? What change has come about in the last 20 years in the way folks are able to communicate. My plan was to check in on this board three hours ago, but household chores and a 5:30 a.m. walk...time slips by fast. Was heading out for a tractor ride on my Farmall 340 to Amish country-bakery stop; pickup some galvanized welding an Amish might have done for me; and down to moms for yard work...I think Hugh would think a tractor ride is definitely in order today.
 
Those Red tractors in the "Great Beyond" will be in good care!

Prayers for the McKay family.
 
Sad day in IH country, I am relativly new to the board but have grown to like and respect the man. Condolences to his loved ones.
Eric.
 
Hugh's passing will leave a giant hole here, but a lot of the folks he's helped over the yers are chiming in and helping others wih what he taught them and with their own experience, so he leaves a legacy on the board, as well.

My sincere condolences to his family.
 
I am really shocked to hear he went so fast. I just talked to him two weeks ago and he told me he had cancer. He will be missed here for sure, i know i will miss him. He was always ready to help people with thier problems. I hope he can read the coments on here ,we will miss him alot. Erik...
 
I was just thinking the other day that he had not posted lately. Lot of seat of the pants information came from him. Will be missed.
 
I posted earlier but was just reflecting on this and thought of something. Hugh was living near Strathroy Ontario about forty miles south of me.He posted one day about seeing a couple of M's working in a field and I replied that I knew the area he was referring to. He told me he was driving a gravel truck for some company for something to do and he often ran Huron County#31. I told him that was where my farm was, gave him a few landmarks and the next day I was on the shed roof painting it and I hear this gravel truck blaring the horns as it went by..next day about mid morning I hear a big truck gearing down and in came Hugh. We had a nice visit, I showed him the tractors and machinery in the sheds, we looked at the cattlr..we had a nice visit and he was truely interested in my stuff, we e-mailed each other often and about a year later a car drove in one morning and it was Hugh and his brother, again we had a nice visit. It was my turn to show up at his place, I knew exactly where he lived by his description..and as I now regret I just didn't take the time to drive down and see him, I planned to, wanted to see his little tractors. It sounds like he went home to Nova Scotia to die, a land he loved and spent most of his life farming. Hugh was a big man, a booming voice but just a pleasure to have come and visit, I recall we sat and had a smoke and I don't smoke, but it was just such good company and with someone with a shared interest in what we do. I didn't get to meet his wife, I'm sure the family is grieved. Hugh was a heck of a guy.
 
Hate to hear that, he definetly had a lot of good information and always replied promptly. I just purchased another Super A and had a ton of questions for him. He will be missed.
 
I still keep hoping this is not true and Hugh will show up like Tractor Vet did when the forum had him dead couple years ago.
 
Have just skipped over the condelences to Marg & Family from Hughie's e-mail tractor buddies. Hughie passed away in Strathroy and memorial service will be held there later, could be the first of the week, don't have that info yet. His ashes will be brought home to NS later, not sure when later is either. His brothers and cousins found out about his health issues on Thanksgiving weekend,but I believe that this came upon Hugh rather quickly, and our cousin Ken in Guelph passed on updated info yesterday afternoon to his many cousins that Hughie had made the decision, along with his family, that he would not go for treatment and then the word came through this morning that he passed away last evening in hospital at 10.20. Our understanding is that it was widely spread throughout his body and I guess we should count it as a blessing that he did not suffer for a long time. When I receive info re: memorial service, I can pass it along if you wish, if you wish.
 
I am also sorry to hear of this. Seems we will be missing a knowledgable guru. But he will live on through the archives and by what we learned from him. RIP.

CT
 
MurrayE, I'm guessing you are close friend of Hugh? I'm sure funeral arrangements are in the works and you will provide us w/updates, just thinkin' here - and sometimes that hurts - a Farmall honor guard might be fitting if there are attendees so inclined up in O Canada land and they are close. If nothing else, some Farmalls in the parking lot. Having been on a fire department 15+ years, I've taken part in many and some included fire equipment. Paged back in the puter and reviewed my Hugh MacKay archive search and found 15,361 posts - good grief, was I off...but then, I've heard that before :^). May the family find peace.
 
so sorry to hear of the loss
our prayers to his family
we will all miss Hugh
I consider him a friend and have never met him

Pat
 
Like everyone else, I'm just shocked to hear the news. I've been on this board for many years and read several of the threads. I don't post much, but sure will miss Hugh's name popping up on the threads to answer questions. I'm saddened for the loss, and my condolences to friends and family. Rest in peace Hugh.
 
Hugh"s was a plain-speaking voice of reason and constraint. He spoke to the point, and never got involved in flame-wars of religion, politics, or interpersonal bickering.

His advice came from a huge fund of knowledge, and often included his humorous touches of homespun wisdom. Any post in which I saw his name in the responses was an automatic "read" for me. And he provided me considerable help and several doses of confidence when I was over-hauling my own Super-A.

Absolutely no aspersions to Murray, who did everyone a favor by starting this thread, but Hugh was very proud of his name and his heritage, so in his memory...

Rest in peace, Hugh MacKay. The forum is diminished by your passing.
 
We all lost a great friend in this Farmall tractor world. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Hugh in person we discussed numerous topics "off forum" through personal emails. I just looked through that saved folder on my PC and saw that I have retained some very interesting and amusing emails in some cases. I will probably go there often when I need a smile or fond memory of Hugh. His knowledge of those off-set Farmalls is not second to anyone - we will certainly miss Hugh when we need some of that "the way it was" information.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Marg and the family and those on the forum who have had the pleasure of knowing and meeting Hugh. Hal
 

Hugh, you are in a much better place. I'm sure there are fields to plow and crops to be planted, and probably even a few old Farmalls that could benefit from your knowledge. I imagine if you look around a bit, you'll find that coffee shop where all the farmers gather at least once each day. Enjoy yourself.
 
There was alot of good humor, common sense, and knowledge of most things relating to farming that he shared with us. I don't read everything on this board but always clicked on threads where he posted. This in spite of the fact that I don't own any small IH/Farmalls except for a lousy Cub.

I always assumed that one day he would pull into my driveway and I would know it was him before exchanging greetings. Apparently, he has relatives living nearby in eastern Massachusetts. This board has suffered a big loss.
 
Terrible news. Like many of you, I feel I have lost a friend I never met. I will surely miss him.
mike
 
Hugh was one of the first people I got aquanted with on here, and we had e-mailed each other a bit over the years. He was very knowledgeable about various IH tractors and John Deere as well. He was very supportive of me when my wife passed away 6 years ago. I always wanted to meet him in person. Hugh was the one that alerted me to the illness of Farmall Hal"s wife a few years ago, and I was glad he did. He could be out spoken but was always truthful. I was very proud to call Hugh my friend.
Jim
 
I will miss him. We did not always agree, but that's ok -- he was right most of the time. He usually had valid reasons for his opinions. One that comes to mind is that he did not like aftermarket 3 points. Seems he had one on, I believe, a 300-450 or some similar model without a fast hitch. The pivot point (or whatever you call it) for the row marker hooked under his belt when he raised the planter at the end of the row, pulled him back in the seat with his foot on the clutch and the engine wide open. He couldn't reach the hydraulics, so there he sat. Luckily the hired help came along and rescued him, or none of us would have ever heard of him. He will be missed, and a true complement is that he has forgotten more than a lot of us know.
 
Hi Michael. Hugh passed away in Ontario. There could very well be a Memorial Service in the area where the family resided. The information received as of this date has been received from your area. Cheers, Murray
 
Hi Freda, yes it would be appreciated if you could keep the information posted regarding the Memorial Service for Hugh. Thanks, Murray
 
Sad to hear of Hugh's passing.Condolences to his family.May he rest in peace.

Vito
 
I just thought the other day, wow he hasnt posted in a while, hope hes okay. He gave me some great advise a couple times :-( he will be missed, Best wishes to his family in a time like this, keep his red tractors in his memory!
 
My condolences to his family. Both I and my 1966 140 have benefited from his wisdom over the years. He will be missed--but I can always find a little bit of him with the Search function.
 
Sorry about Hugh's passing I am not a regular on here but I have been reading this forum off and on for several years an I always liked to read his posts .My condolences to his family.
 
Very sad news. My condolances to the family .He has been a great assett to this forum and the hobby as well.
Rest easy Hugh.
 
Just posted a picture of my SA that I finished today. First thing I saw after posting was this notice of Hughs death. He was my primary resource along the way. More than once he said "patience needed" or "don't give up" in order to compelte the task at hand. He was a great resource and will be sorely missed.
 
So sorry to learn of Hugh's passing. He will be missed. Especially his posts on the offset tractors and one point hitch.
 
Sad news, he will be missed.

Had a few good conversations with him, always liked his direct approach.

K
 
What a shocker. Others have said it best but rest well Hugh, you are in a better place. To the family, our thoughts, prayers and hearts go out to you. He will be missed, Very Respectfully, Steve
 
Compared to most I'm a a relative new comer but enjoyed Hughs' plain speak. We are fortunate that the archives have captured some of his knowledge, will miss him and our prayers are with the family.
 
We have lost a true friend....His knowledge and personality has been lost forever. Here"s hoping we all see Hugh on the other side. He sure will be missed!
 
What a shock! We had a lot of banter back and forth about farming in Nova Scotia. A big man has passed but we will always remember him for his opinions and wit. I hope his ashes make it back home.
Robert Lorencz
 
The highest respect a group of farmers and tractor lovers can give is their ear. We listened to Hugh for the wisdom he provided, and the opinions he shared so willingly. Printing out all of Hugh's input would make a valuable tome for posterity. I am very glad the content is stored here at YT.
There has not been a more down to earth approach to answers than his. Every person he helped carries that information into the future. Thank you from our hearts for letting him share with us. Jim
 
A very sad day for me...I just came in from working on my "RED IRON" and Read this. If not for Hugh I wouldn't have gotten this thing fixed in half the time I did back when I had first gotten it. Thank You my friend, now you truly "Belong to the Ages" :cry: :cry: :cry:
 
sad to hear that, its kind of a shocker to know you read his posts and now they wont be here anymore.just never know from one day to the next what may happen.
 
That's the worst news I've heard in a long time.

As we go through this life we encounter those who are takers and those who are givers. Hugh was a huge giver and a major, major contributor to this site. He'll be very sadly missed.

Mark W. in MI
 
This is shocking news. My condelences to Marg & family of Hugh. In early August my wife and I were in Sarnia area and stopped in and had a great visit with Hugh and Marg. At that time he was busy cultivating fields of cabbage. He had mentioned that he and Marg were planning a trip to Nova Scotia this fall and when I didn"t see any posts from him in the last few days, I just thought he and Marg were on a trip to Nova Scotia.
He will be missed by all. He had a great knowledge of farming and IH equipment.
My thoughts and prayers to the family at this difficult time.

JimB
 
I am so sorry to hear of Hugh's passing. His posts were a must read - even for a died in the wool Ontario Farm raised Cockshutt fan. Much, much general machinery knowledge and it was so well shared via this board. May God bless you and hold you in the hollow of His hand.
I am sure the IH's in the upstairs are in good hands know.
Neil
 
My condolences as well. Read about it on the main tractor talk forum and immediately recognized his name as one of the posters I enjoyed.
 
Hugh will be greatly missed. I remember communicating with him several years ago about my wife's family being originally from Truro, Nova Scotia. He knew the family names and added much to our knowledge. Our prayers and love to his family.
Bill in NC
 
Hugh will be missed, greatly. His insight on all things, his real world experience and how things work. My sorrow for this loss goes out to his family and friends. I am sure the Lord must have needed him to help out on some IH that the Lord has.
Good-by ol Friend!
Later,
John A.
 
The news of Hugh's passing is indeed a shocker. My wife and I had the privilege of stopping in to visit with Hugh and Marj in late Sept. of 2008. Both of them were most gracious to us. It was a beautiful fall day so we sat outside their house and enjoyed Marj's coffee and snacks. I have some pictures of Hugh and Marj and will post them as soon as I can get my wife to help me do that.
He showed me his tractors and implements which he was proud of because he made them work for him in the ways he needed work to be done.
I'm so glad I met that man and his wife; my life is enriched by that meeting.

LA in WI (Lowell Andreessen, Wisconsin)
 
Condolences to the family, and our online family has also lost one of our finest contributors. The only thing larger than Hugh's Farmall knowledge was his willingness to share it with others.
 
Just catching up on posts. Stunned to say the least. May God bless you and may you rest in peace.
 
I don't get on YT quite as often as I might like but this morning a friend of mine informed me of this post and I am very sorry to hear of Hugh's passing. I am one of those who had the priveledge of stopping in at Hugh's place, seeing his tractors, talking of Nova Scotia, and enjoying the hospitality of both himself and Marg. He will be sorely missed. All I can say is thanks to Hugh, for many great stories and lots of good information. Sam
 
Hi Sam, I attempted to contact you on saturday morning. I guess were out someplace? C.U. Murray. Give us a call.
 
Hi Lowell and Pat, Hugh had sort of made tenative plans for me and Carole to travel to southern Ontario next fall where the Canadian or International Plowing competition's were to be held in 2010 . Included in the plans were for yourself and wife Pat to travel from Wisconsin to southern Ontario and the six of us join together for the competition's and STORY TELLING. I guess we can still do that and Hugh will be there in Spirit. C U Later , give us an email, Murray and Carole///N.S.
 
I am pretty new on this board, just started posting regularly a few days ago. Did not know Hugh McKay, but having read this thread, I looked back on his posts, and he was indeed a very knowledgeable man. Reading through here has brought a tear to my eye, as I can tell by the kind words in this thread, he will surely be missed. My prayers and best wishes go out to his family, and friends.
 
Good Afternoon Guys,
I have known Hugh for many years ! He will be missed by many on this board !

I got some very good advice from him through the years !

Hugh, may you be riding a Farmall up there with the wind in your face and the sun on your back my friend !

RIP

scotty
 
Just backed up to read older posts, & so sad that Hugh has passed. My deepest sympathy to the family. Hugh was not hesitant to share his great knowledge. The Lord will look after him now, rest assured. The family will be in my prayers.
 
(quoted from post at 09:04:33 10/25/09) I always looked forward to Hughs posts. I feel
like we have lost a good friend. He will be missed.
I am stunned also, He was a friend to all, In his own gruff way. I chatted with him toward the end of Sept. He sounded fine. What a loss.
 
Stunned by the news of Hugh's death. Our sincere condolences to his wife Marg, other members of his family and friends. We will sorely miss him. I cannot find the words to describe how much character and wisdom he contributed through this forum and direct exchanges of e-mails. Hendrik, from The Netherlands.
 
Like the rest of you I was stunned when I read this post. I never had the pleasure of meeting Hugh but I have the greatest admiration for him. He was very knowledgeable about the Farmall offsets and willing to share his experiences. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers to Marg, his family, and friends. Randy
 
What a shock! Several years ago my father wasn't diagnosed until his cancer was at stage 4 and he had passed within six months, so I do know what the family is going through. My sincere condolences to them. Hugh's knowledge&experience on the use of these machines with their implements was a real wealth that will be missed.
Stan(VA).

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4.
 
Condolences from South Dakota to Hugh's family. He will be greatly missed. Hugh was a true plowman, and I feel honored to have visited with him through this forum.
 
Hi, I am Hugh's son Sandy. Thank you all very much for your kind words.

Dad was heavily invested in farming from a young age and had a lifetime of practical experience with these machines and the implements. He was very knowledgeable and opinionated. Sometime along the way he bought a computer (before I and many younger people did) and eventually we started hearing about this "tractor page." Then we started hearing all these names, user names, from Yesterday's Tractors. One time I went to visit the folks and Dad was visibly upset and possibly sick to his stomache because because of some argument he had on YT. He was passionate about this site. Eventually, in semi-retirement, he started meeting many of you. This is an impressive community you have all crafted.

We will have a private funeral this week here in Strathroy and a visitation at home in Strathroy on November 1st, between two and four. Mum made sure to include Dad's love of Yesterday's Tractors in the obituary:

Hugh Melvin MacKay, 67, of Strathroy, ON (formerly of Middle Musquodoboit, NS), died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by loving family on October 23, 2009, following a brief illness. Beloved husband of 44 years to Margaret (Campbell), father of Marilyn (Scott Geddes) of Windsor, NS, Heather (Duncan Graham) of Toronto, and Sandy (the late Melanie Hicks) of Woodbridge, ON, and grandfather of Munro, the apple of his eye. Brother of Franklyn (Marian), Douglas (Patricia) and Edward (Sandra). He was predeceased by parents Austin and Edith (Dickey) and brother Arthur (Patricia). A career farmer, Hugh had a lifelong love of the land and all things farm-related. He was an avid contributor to “Yesterday’s Tractors,” and had been an active member of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture and the Nova Scotia Milk Producers Association. Cremation and a private family service have been arranged. A memorial hymn sing was held in his honour October 25 at the home of his cousin Shirley Graham in Upper Stewiacke, NS. Visitation at home will take place Sunday, November 1, from 2-4 pm. Donations are welcome to the Canadian Cancer Society, or a chosen charity.
 
So sorry to hear about this loss, Hugh will be missed. My prayers are with the family.


"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1



-Aaron from Louisiana
 
Michael,

Could you possibly give me the postal code for Strathroy? I communicated with Hugh several times over the years and I want to send a card to Marg.

Thanks,

Stan Huff
Melbourne, FL
 
Michael,

Could you possibly give me the postal code for Strathroy? I communicated with Hugh several times over the years and I want to send a card to Marg.

Thanks,

Stan Huff
Melbourne, FL
 
Michael,

Could you possibly give me the postal code for Strathroy? I communicated with Hugh several times over the years and I want to send a card to Marg.

Thanks,

Stan Huff
Melbourne, FL
 
Just learned of Hugh's passing,although I have never posted on this site It was Hugh and so many others that have helped me in so many ways. I am now sorry I didn't get to know him better. May God grant you solace in the days to come.
 

It's hard to believe I can tear up over the loss of a person I never met or spoke with, beyond the written words of the YT Forum... yet I do.

I started farming not too many years ago with next to no guidance and only a handful of books. Hugh helped me figure a good number of things out... not an easy task remotely... and he made it a lot easier to move ahead with the minimum of stumbles. I always felt like I owed him something for that. He will not be soon forgotten.. by me or the YT community.

Hugh was so giving to everyone and seemed never to tire of repeating the basics to the nubes on this board. He was patient with argumentative types and could make his point without getting remotely troll-like... or even "merely" rude for that matter. He was one of those rare forum people you genuinely want to meet in person.

I honor Hugh's long stewardship of the land and commitment to farming excellence. I honor his patient demeanor and willingness to help all who needed it. He coulda been a teacher! My prayers go to his family with the hope that they can find solace in this time of loss.
 
Sorry to hear...Hugh helped me out numerous times over the years with problems and gave information on a personal level....sure will miss him....Dave
 
Wow... this has left me stunned. I was out of town and just heard the news. Hugh"s wealth of information and helpfulness always gave me the confidence to try to fix things on my old "A" because I knew if I got in a bind he was always more than willing to explain how to fix it in terms I could understand. Hugh, you will be sorely missed but the knowledge and wisdom you have passed on will help us all into the future.
 
Wow!

Mark emailed a few days ago and told me of Hughs passing. He will be missed here at YT. I liked the fact that Hugh was direct, to the point, and very opinionated. Had a little exchange with him now and then myself but we spoke with one another through personal emails fairly regular. I have pics of his offset Farmalls and implemnets for them saved on my computer.

My deepest condolences to Hugh's family. May he rest in peace.


George.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top