Roll Call Tribute
Alan MacKellar '65 July 21, 2014 2:30 PM
Published in Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader on July 20, 2014
Alan Mackellar
MACKELLAR Alan D. 77, of Lexington KY, died on July 12, 2014 at St. Joseph's Hospital. He was born September 3, 1936 in Detroit and raised in Royal Oak, MI, graduating from Royal Oak High School in 1954. He received a BSE in Physics in 1958 and an MS in Physics in 1960 from the University of Michigan; and a Ph.D. in physics from Texas A&M in 1966. He worked as an engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and served as postdoc at MIT and Rice University, before moving to Lexington in 1968 where he was a professor of physics at the University of Kentucky until January 1999. He specialized in nuclear theory and conducted research on atomic processes in ion-atom collisions, publishing numerous articles in leading physics journals. He served as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1985 to 1993. He also organized the National Society of Black Physicists 1998 Annual Meeting and worked to recruit female faculty in physics. After retiring, Alan focused on writing and photography. He was a member of the Green River Writers and participated in numerous writing workshops, including the Iowa Writers Workshop and the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. His poems have appeared in Wind, Sandhills Review, Ace Weekly, Carnegie Press Anthology and other volumes. His chapbook Chasing Shroedinger's Cat was published by Finishing Line Press in 2010. His photography exhibits included one person shows at the Carnegie Center, the University of Kentucky Art Museum, Appalshop, and the University of Louisville Photo Archives Gallery. His photographs won awards, including Best of Show at the 1991 Tri-State 3 by 3. He is survived by his wife Rene Mallett Hales, two daughters by a previous marriage, Bonnie Kathleen MacKellar of Eastchester, NY and Laurie Anne MacKellar of Elizabethtown, KY; three stepchildren Robert Edwin Hales and Frances Hales Farmer of Salisbury, NC and Alex Edmond Hales of Oswego, IL; a brother, William John MacKellar of Punta Gorda, FL; and ten grandchildren - Malachi, Elias, and Naomi Dub ; Elisabeth Farmer; Cole, Kary, Corbin, Corry, Ashley and Aiden Hales. He was preceded in death by his parents Lyle Alexander and Harriet Elsie Gillesby MacKellar, a sister Mary Lee and a son David Andrew. A memorial celebration and poetry reading will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2014 from 2-4pm at The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Carnegie Center in Lexington. www.milwardfuneral.com
Alan Mackellar
MACKELLAR Alan D. 77, of Lexington KY, died on July 12, 2014 at St. Joseph's Hospital. He was born September 3, 1936 in Detroit and raised in Royal Oak, MI, graduating from Royal Oak High School in 1954. He received a BSE in Physics in 1958 and an MS in Physics in 1960 from the University of Michigan; and a Ph.D. in physics from Texas A&M in 1966. He worked as an engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and served as postdoc at MIT and Rice University, before moving to Lexington in 1968 where he was a professor of physics at the University of Kentucky until January 1999. He specialized in nuclear theory and conducted research on atomic processes in ion-atom collisions, publishing numerous articles in leading physics journals. He served as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1985 to 1993. He also organized the National Society of Black Physicists 1998 Annual Meeting and worked to recruit female faculty in physics. After retiring, Alan focused on writing and photography. He was a member of the Green River Writers and participated in numerous writing workshops, including the Iowa Writers Workshop and the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. His poems have appeared in Wind, Sandhills Review, Ace Weekly, Carnegie Press Anthology and other volumes. His chapbook Chasing Shroedinger's Cat was published by Finishing Line Press in 2010. His photography exhibits included one person shows at the Carnegie Center, the University of Kentucky Art Museum, Appalshop, and the University of Louisville Photo Archives Gallery. His photographs won awards, including Best of Show at the 1991 Tri-State 3 by 3. He is survived by his wife Rene Mallett Hales, two daughters by a previous marriage, Bonnie Kathleen MacKellar of Eastchester, NY and Laurie Anne MacKellar of Elizabethtown, KY; three stepchildren Robert Edwin Hales and Frances Hales Farmer of Salisbury, NC and Alex Edmond Hales of Oswego, IL; a brother, William John MacKellar of Punta Gorda, FL; and ten grandchildren - Malachi, Elias, and Naomi Dub ; Elisabeth Farmer; Cole, Kary, Corbin, Corry, Ashley and Aiden Hales. He was preceded in death by his parents Lyle Alexander and Harriet Elsie Gillesby MacKellar, a sister Mary Lee and a son David Andrew. A memorial celebration and poetry reading will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2014 from 2-4pm at The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Carnegie Center in Lexington. www.milwardfuneral.com
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