Dennis Mackey

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dennis Mackey, who left us on February 8, 2026, at the age of 83.

Dennis was born on November 19, 1942, in Painesville, Ohio. He graduated from Fairport Harding High School and went on to marry his sweetheart, Sharon A. (Ojanpa) Mackey, on August 3, 1963. Together they shared 62 wonderful years of marriage filled with love, laughter, and devotion.

Dennis proudly enlisted in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, serving for four years as a culinary specialist aboard the Naval aircraft carrier U.S.S. Princeton. After his service, he returned to his hometown and ran the family grocery store, Mackey’s Bi-Rite. Known as the best butcher around, Dennis built a reputation for quality meats and the personal care he gave to every customer. Mackey’s Bi-Rite became well known throughout the community, with people traveling from all over to purchase their meat from Dennis, not just for the quality, but for the kindness and pride he put into his work.

In his free time, Dennis enjoyed boat racing, carving full-size carousel horses, and restoring several carousel horses and other pieces for collectors of Euclid Beach memorabilia. He loved going dancing with his wife and was a true do-it-yourselfer—if something needed fixing, Dennis fixed it. He took pride in doing things with his own hands and rarely let anyone else handle repairs.

Dennis was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sharon A. (Ojanpa) Mackey; his son, Adam (Beth) Mackey; his grandchildren, Heather (Nick) Rexrode and Cody (Caitlyn) Mackey; and his great-grandchildren, Peyton, Landon, Millie, Madelyn, and Avery. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law, Sandra Borelli and Drenda Mackey, and brother-in-law Leonard Marshall.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Mildred Mackey; his brother, Ronald Mackey; his sister-in-law Francis; his brother-in-law Dan; and his niece, Morgan Mackey.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Anyone who knew Dad (Dennis) knew that Mom (Sharon) was his world.  For the past several years, he devoted himself to caring for her with unwavering love and dedication.  If you feel moved to honor him, you can do so by supporting Mom and helping ensure she continues to receive the best care, contributions may be sent to Adam Mackey, 8177 Lake Shore Blvd, Mentor Oh  44060 or Zelle to formula311@gmail.com

Thank you all for the prayers, love, and support during this difficult time.