In memory of Hugh Mckay

Today three years ago we lost our friend Hugh. Hope his family, especially his wife Marg, is doing well.
We still miss him on this Farmall forum. He gladly shared his wealth of knowledge with us.
With due respect, Hendrik.

Amen! I am more than proud to still call Hugh my friend!

good man lost. Bob

I, too, still think of Hugh often, re-read his emails to me and still refer folks to his definitive posts on all sorts of practical insights about the care and use of his much-loved offset Farmalls.

R.I.P. Hugh.

Mark Heidmann

I, too, still think of Hugh often, re-read his emails to me and still refer folks to his definitive posts on all sorts of practical insights about the care and use of his much-loved offset Farmalls.

R.I.P. Hugh.

Mark Heidmann

Hugh was one of the best. I even did a little business with him. He was as honest and straight forward as they come.

I'm glad folks remembered, as I did, of Hugh's passing this day. I was peeking at tractor photos Sunday and a photo of his 130 was listed and I had to look and read. Yes, I also hope Marg and family are well. I recall that a hymn sign was held for him...neat. Go sit on a Farmall today in memory of Hugh. Take care folks.

The power of sharing is the best gift we can provide. He was very special. Jim

The first time I met Hugh he was driving one of those big dump trucks past the farm and I was up on a shed roof painting it..I heard the air horn and when I looked I knew it was him.We had chatted on YT and I told him where my farm was after he told me he was running gravel from a pit north of us. On his return he stopped at the end of the lane and walked in. We had a nice visit and I showed him my tractors and cattle. He dropped back in one day with his brother in law about a year later. Hugh was a big man in stature,very friendly and very sincere. I didn't get down to his place about 40 miles south of me near Strathroy Ontario. I was going to attend the visitation when I heard he had passed away,but there was no obituary and I think Hugh wanted a quiet send off. He was a very nice guy,who had great experience with farming and machinery.RIP.

He was a great guy. It was even fun arguing with him.

While I never really got to chat with the man, the words I've heard about him speak for themselves. And though I didn't know him personally I do recall his passing and was just thinking the other day that it seems like it was around this time of year and hoped his family is doing okay. Hard to believe it's been three years already.

Friends,

My wife and I stopped in to visit with Hugh & Marg MacKay in Sept of 2008. They were great hosts and I got to see Hugh"s tractors. He liked the small IH tractors and he modified them to do the work he wanted them to do. He did not care for "pretty" tractors.

Then, 13 months later he died. About a month before he died he emailed me informing me that doctors found his cancer was fully enveloped, it came as a complete surprise as he enjoyed good health; he asked me not to mention it on this site and it was hard to honor his request as I knew many people would have liked to have known about his terrible problem. But knowing the man I knew he did not want people to feel sorry for him.

He was a fascinating man. He liked to help people with tractor/plow problems but he did not suffer fools very gladly!

Five weeks ago I and my wife travelled to a plowing match near Cambridge, Ontario. I always wanted to see the Canadians plow as a contest with European or worldwide rules. The "Ontario Plowmen"s Association" is a great site to visit.
The Canadian plowing participants were very friendly and enthusiastic about their hobby.

On the way home we stopped to see Marg MacKay and their son Sandy. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and Marg always makes sure we don"t leave hungry. Her homemade cookies are wonderful with her coffee.

(Her name is not "Marge", it is Marg.)

Marg is doing very well, has a yard full of flowers and vegetables; and son Sandy is using Hugh"s tractors around their acreage. Sandy has kept all of Hugh"s tractor files, including old IH plow info.

I am sending her your wonderful comments from this site. At the present time, I do not have her permission to give out her email address nor where she lives.

If you have any comments you want to make to her and Sandy, I will try to serve as a conduit for the time being. I am forwarding this whole topic to her and I know she will enjoy reading what you have written.

The plowing contest was great fun to see, but that topic is for another day. I plan to see it again next September and will stop to see Marg and Sandy.

LA in WI (Lowell Andreessen in Wisconsin)

I find myself thinking of Hugh quite often. Which is kind of strange since I never met him in person. I did enjoy many times talking with him through e-mails. When we lost Jimmy King a while back it made me think of Hugh a lot around that time. Other than John Wayne and James Arness Passing I can not recall a time when the loss of someone I never new effected me so much. Hope to look you up on the other side Hugh.
Paul Shuler
PS He always talked about coming down to MO and having a big BBQ with us MO guys. I sure hate we never got it done.

I also miss Hugh's advice and knowledge, still think of him from time to time.
Pat

I too miss Hugh's knowledge and insights here.

I met Hugh and Marg for lunch once when they were traveling through western NY. Hugh was as wonderful guy in person as he was on this board. And Marg was a real sweetheart.

Only three years? Seems like longer. Hugh added a lot of knowledge, warmth, and (occasionally) spice to the forum. RIP

Wow, He must have passed at a time I wasn't reading the forum very much. I wondered when it was. I never knew him, just on here. I miss his insight, too, and think about him from time to time.

Best wishes to Hugh's family and friends. -Andy

Jim:

Hugh is almost a legend on this board, and certainly irreplaceable. But in reading your daily contributions, I think you've gone a long way toward filling those huge shoes. I don't want to hijack a tribute to Hugh, but on behalf of myself and many others, thanks for all your help.

As for Hugh, he lives on in our memories and (thank goodness) in the archives.

Mark W. in MI

Mike,
Do you live anywhere near where the plowing matches will be held in 2013? Near Stratford, I think.
LA in WI

I remember going through the archives while working on my H and it always seemed Hugh MacKay's responses were involved. He contributed a lot to this site and forum and is surely missed.

Miss Hugh's many years of farming experience and his love of Farmall offset tractors. Hope his wife and family are doing well.
Enjoyed a brief visit with Hugh and Marg in Aug 2009.
JimB

Just this past Sunday I Googled "Timing a C113" and the first post I recieved was from Hugh... so his advice is still helping us keep our Farmall's running. RIP Hugh... your surely missed.

Jay Poole

I too never had the opportunity to meet Hugh in person but shared numerous emails about our beloved Farmalls and life in general. I have a folder of his emails saved on my PC and think of him often and was reading a lot of them just recently. He had as much knowledge of the offsets as anyone I have run across and was very helpful when I purchased my Farmall 140 and Woods belly mower. I treasure my association with Hugh through the emails and shared information. As mentioned by Paul below a group of us offered to host him and Marq whenever they were in Missouri and would have liked to have "killed the fatted" calf in his honor for a Bar-b-que. Missing Hugh in many ways and hope the family is doing well since he departed us, Hal.

Hugh was very knowledgeable on the smaller iron. I too cannot believe it has been 3 years, wow time flies by. I"m glad to see that this many members still remember his straightforward and sometimes blunt responses.

CT