John Mikha Mackay

John Mikha Mackay was born in Iraq on July 10, 1948, and passed to the fullness of everlasting life in America on March 15, 2024. Arriving in America from Iraq with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Baghdad in 1971, John attended the University of Detroit and earned a master’s degree in business in 1972. He was an executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for over 20 years.

John was the director of the Chaldean Federation of America as well as one of the founding members. He became the first Chaldean councilman of Lathrup Village in the 1990s and opened a path for future Chaldean generations to run for political office. John worked diligently with others for over a decade campaigning for Chaldean recognition. In 2000, Chaldeans were identified in the census for the first time.

He was the son of the late Mikha and Amina Mackay, father of Matthew (Michelle) Mackay and Laura Mackay, and grandfather of Charlotte, John, and Callahan Mackay. He is preceded in death by siblings Hayatt (late Fethalla) Habba, George Mackay, Basim (Haifa) Makhay, Wadie (the late Najat) Makhay and survived by siblings Bassima (the late George) Abbo, and Nada (Najib) Kas-Shamoun.