A life of dedication

Joseph “Buddy” Macken Jr., the longtime proprietor of Macken Mortuary, died on June 30, of complications of pneumonia. He was 92.

Macken was born to Florence and Joseph Macken Sr. on Feb. 23, 1923, in Oceanside. The family moved to Rockville Centre, and he graduated from South Side High School before enlisting in the Army to fight in World War II. He was sent overseas to the European theater, and took part in the battle to take Bitche, France.

After he came home, he attended McAllister’s Mortuary School, preparing to join his father at the mortuary. He was also introduced to Dorothy Sheridan, a friend of his sister, Mary. The two were married on Feb. 15, 1947.

Macken lived most of his life in Rockville Centre, and dedicated himself to the community. In addition to being one of the busiest morticians in town, he was a lifelong member of the Rockville Centre Fire Department, serving in Alert Engine Company No. 2 until his death.

“He was still the secretary of his company at the time of his death,” said his eldest son, Joseph Macken III. “He was still sending out meeting notices and taking minutes and doing things like that.”

Macken was a Fire Department volunteer for 69 years and responded to many memorable calls in the village, including a train crash in 1950 that killed 31 people. “Buddy was a welcoming presence at Engine 2, and always had a kind word and a firm handshake for everyone who walked through the door,” Ray Bookman, the company’s captain, said at Macken’s funeral. “He loved a good joke, told a good story, and was the very definition of the word gentleman.”

Macken’s service was not limited to the Fire Department. He was also active in St. Agnes Cathedral for many years, serving as a lector and a member of the Parish Council. He was a baseball coach before his children were even old enough to play.

“He was always busy and on the move,” Joseph III said. “The business was a 24-hour business. It was really just Dad and Uncle Tom [Macken] running the business. In addition to that, helping my mom raise 10 children.”

Macken was also a member of the St. Agnes Knights of Columbus Council 2548, where he served as a grand knight, as well as the Rockville Centre Veterans of Foreign Wars while the organization was active in the village.