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Welcome to the memorial page for
Richard J. McDonald
July 7, 1925 ~ August 31, 2012 (age 87) 87 Years OldShare using:
Richard J. McDonald
July 7, 1925 - August 31, 2012
Dad was born in Winthrop, Mass. July 7, 1925 the seventh child to John J. MacDonald of Prince Edward Island, Canada and Mary (Mackell) MacDonald of Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo, Ireland. He grew up fishing and boating on the ocean and hiking the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he would spend over 60 summers of visits. He was the last of the Winthrop MacDonald's.
In WWII, he served on the USS Block Island and saw action in Iwo Jima, Okinowa, and the Allied POW rescues in Taipei, Taiwan in 1945. He was proud of his ship, his service and Admiral Nimitz. After the war, he entered the University of Notre Dame with the kind help of Fr A. Leonard Collins, CSC on the GI Bill. He is the class of 1951 and ND 1954 Law.
In March 1951, he married the former Elaine Edwards, the daughter of legendary 'Cap' Edwards, ND 1909 Captain, 1913 ND Coach (Rockne), NFL pioneer and local industrialist at Sacred Heart Church. Elaine passed away in 2005.
After law school, Dad went to work at Bendix, then Raytheon in Lowell, Mass. Returning to South Bend, he joined Montgomery and Kopec, then Patrick,Anderson and McDonald law firms, finally going on his own over the last 30 years. He was full time at work until his illness struck.
Dad was involved in many areas of the law, politics and society. He was deputy prosecutor under Bill Voor, County Attorney, City Democratic Chairman, Robert Kennedy's 1968 delegate, St Joseph County Bar Association, St Joseph Rivershed (his love of water), The Little Joe Club, Diamond Lake/Diamond Shores Assn, Hibernians , USS Block Island CVE 21 + 106 Assn. and the Elk's 235 as their attorney.
Dad loved Notre Dame, New England, Diamond Lake, Hawaii, Ireland, Isle of Skye, and of course, his work. He liked away Notre Dame football games, 'dry train' trips, boiling lobsters and clams, fishing in Alaska, good English grammar, his jaunts to the courthouse, the porch in Kearsarge, Dolly Copp and helping people. His family always came first.
He leaves behind his sons, Jack McDonald (Karen) of Granger, Jim (Siobhan)McDonald of New Hampshire, Rick (Jane Beitler) McDonald of Colorado and Dan McDonald of South Bend. His daughters are Laurie A. McDonald of South Bend and Mary (Molly) McDonald of Mishawaka. His grandaughter is Katie McDonald. His beloved grandson Christopher McDonald preceded him in death.
Viewing will be at the Palmer Funeral Home - Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, on Wednesday Sept 5th from 4pm to 8pm. A celebration of life mass will be held Thursday Sept 6 at 3:30 pm in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, with Rev. Leonard J. Collins, C.S.C. officiating. Interment will take place at Highland Cemetery at a later date with the family.
Donations can be made to Christ Child Society PO Box 1286, South Bend, IN 46624 or to Helping Hands of Cass County, 130 S. Broadway Street, Cassopolis, MI 49031. Online condolences may be left for the McDonald family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.
He was an instrument of peace.
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