Artist McKenzie Oerting dies of colon cancer at 54

Obit was written by McKenzie's beloved friend Margaret Warren, another wonderful artist and friend of mine also)

Katherine Janet "McKenzie" Oerting passed away April 11, 2009 at 4:52 p.m.
after a 4 year struggle with cancer. 

McKenzie was born November, 18 1954 in Pensacola, Florida.
Her family is of Danish Ancestry and operated the McKenzie
Oerting Ship's Chandlery and Marine Supply in Pensacola over
100 years ago. In the late 1980's, she adopted the nickname 
"McKenzie" and used it as her business name. 

Affectionately known as the "purple haired chick", McKenzie was
a very talented artist, well known by her work in all styles - 
painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media. She exhibited
and won awards regularly in local and regional venues. She stayed
very active in the art community throughout her long illness and 
has work displayed this month at the Arts and Design Society's
Southeast Regional Exhibition at Northwest Florida State College
and in the University of Mobile Regional Art Exhibition in 
Mobile, AL.

McKenzie served on the Board of Directors for Artel Gallery as 
Special Projects Coordinator. She juried art shows regularly,
conducted workshops and gave lectures on the arts and 
was active with the Pensacola Museum of Art and 
with the Arts and Design Society of 
Fort Walton Beach.

She was a mentor and inspiration to all artists in her community
and much beloved. 

She was also active in sailing and the Pensacola Yacht Club community 
and owned and operated McKenzie Oerting Marine Graphics for a number
of years. 

McKenzie first studied art at Pensacola Junior College, then the 
California College of Arts in Oakland, CA and finally at the University
of Houston  where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of 
fine arts in graphic communications and illustration. 

Mckenzie is survived by her mother, Anne Oerting, father, John Oerting, 
two brothers, Richard and David Oerting, sister-in-law, Lisa Oerting,
nephew, John Michael Oerting, Aunt Rosemary Davis, Cousin Martin Baer
and Petra Lattman, Aunt Loulee Shaw, and her particular friend and 
companion Robert Noguere and many other devoted artists and friends. 

McKenzie and I have known each other since my arrival in Pensacola 6 years ago.  We spent many a time doing art together as well as times posing for each other's art.  She fought bravely to survive, but passed on last night.  I can't wait to see what part of the universe she gets to paint in the afterlife.  I for one will constantly be looking for that touch of McKenzie.  I'll post a photo of her later, once I can find that disk it's on, in the meantime, check out her myspace page to see some of her work and listen the the song that so beautifully sums up her.