February 18 1921 June 24 2019
Walter H. McDonald, 98, passed away at 6:39 a.m. on Monday June 24, 2019, at OSF St. Anthony’s Hospital. He was one of the few remaining members of The Greatest Generation. He was born on February 18, 1921, in Richview, Illinois to Willis F. McDonald and Rita Rice McDonald. He married Martha Dorothea Vaupel on December 24, 1943 in Carbondale, Illinois. They enjoyed nearly 70 years together before her death in 2011. He was also preceded in death by his parents, two brothers Conrad and Frank McDonald and two sisters Elizabeth Knoloff and Dora Margaret McDonald who died in infancy. His survivors include three sons and their wives, Alan (Sandy) in Brighton, IL, John (Vicki) in North Fort Myers, FL and Brian (Cathy) in Metamora, IL. Other survivors include three grandsons Robert, Bradley and Cameron, one granddaughter Heather, two great granddaughters Liliana and Brooklyn and one great grandson Quintin. He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the Army Air Force. He flew 35 missions over Germany from the 8th Air Force in England. He was training to go to the Pacific arena to fly missions over Japan when the war came to a close. His life’s work was in education. He earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from SIU in Carbondale, and a Master’s and PHD at the University of Illinois. He taught 2 years at the high school in Vandalia, IL, 6 years at Austin Peay University in Clarksville, TN and 24 years at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston before retiring in 1982. After retiring, he taught part time at Eastern for five years, served as on officer of the Annuitants Association at Eastern, as Secretary of the Charleston Food Pantry Committee, and also as Secretary of the RSVP organization in Coles County. In the summer of 2000, he moved to the United Methodist Village of Godfrey, where he wrote a history of UMVG, served four years as President of the Resident Council and five more years as Resident Ambassador. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Walter McDonald please visit our Sympathy Store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Walter McDonald February 18 1921 June 24 2019.
Death notice for the town of: Bethalto, state: Illinois