William A. Mcdonald

WILLIAM A. MCDONALD, age 83, of Fallston, MD, died on February 9, 2007, at his home. Born in Candor, NC, he was the son of the late William Thomas and Willie Jane Rush McDonald. At 19, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, transferred to the infantry after D-Day, and served in the European Theater. Following his discharge, he apprenticed in the ship building industry in Norfolk, VA. He then attended North Carolina State University, where he earned his Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. McDonald’s career as an engineer included employment with General Electric, Martin Marietta, and finally with Teledyne Energy Systems. At Teledyne Energy Systems, he was a proud member of the Pioneer Deep Space Probe Engineering Team that sent the Pioneer Spacecraft on its voyage around Jupiter. After retiring from Teledyne, he remained an active member of Mountain Christian Church, serving for more than 10 years as a Deacon, a member of the facilities team, and volunteering at the Welcome Center. He was previously married to Charlotte McGhee McDonald.

Mr. McDonald is survived by his wife of 21 years, Marilyn R. McDonald (nee Rich) of Fallston, MD; one son, Larry McDonald of Bethesda, MD; one daughter, Darria M. Kirk of Elgin, IL; five devoted step-children and nineteen grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two sisters, Martha Ayers and Helen Hart.


Contributions may be made to Hospice of Baltimore, 6001 North Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21204.