William Francis McDonald's Obituary
WILLIAM FRANCIS MCDONALD, 88, of Leesburg, Virginia, died on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at Falcons Landing in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
Born Tuesday, April 17, 1934, in Queens, New York, he was the son of the late Frank McDonald and Mary (Gray) McDonald. William (Bill) is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Dorothy L. McDonald; children Francine & Dr. Brant Vitek, Drs. Tara & Buddy Morrison, and Kevin & Rhonda McDonald; grandchildren, Kirby, Bailey, Taylor, Riley, Matthew, and Natalie; brothers, John and Michael; sisters, Mary and Patricia. He is predeceased by brothers Frank, Thomas, and Lawrence.
Bill attended St. John's Preparatory School in Queens, NY, on a basketball scholarship, served as a Corporal in the Korean War, and received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Adelphia University and a JD law degree from Fordham Law.
Upon passing the New York Bar Exam, Bill was recruited by the FBI and became a Special Agent. His first assignment was in New Orleans, where he was actively involved in the investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of President Kennedy. In 1967, Bill left the Bureau to pursue a career in corporate law.
In 1981, Bill joined Emery Worldwide as Assistant General Counsel in Wilton, CT and ultimately served as Vice President and Corporate Counsel in 1993, responsible for Management, Labor Relations, Human Resources Training, Investigations, and Personnel Security Experience for Consolidated Freightways, Inc., Emery's parent company in Redwood City, Ca. (currently XPO Logistics). In 1996, Emery won the largest outsourced contract awarded by the U.S. Postal Service, and Bill retired in 1998.
Bill enjoyed an active retirement, golfing in his new community at the River Creek Club in Leesburg, VA, and volunteering for several local and national charities, including the Knights of Columbus, Agency on Aging and Smithsonian Museums in Washington and Dulles. With his wife Dorothy, and dear friends, they traveled the world and enjoyed their Golden Years together.
Bill's final days were spent at Falcons Landing in Potomac Falls, VA where he affectionately referred to his caregivers as "Coach or Pal" and always thanked them for their kindness and care.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30AM on Monday, January 9, at Saint John the Apostle Catholic Church located at 101 Oak Crest Manor Leesburg, Virginia, 20176, with Father Edward Guilloux officiating. Interment will be on a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Boulder Crest Foundation (https://bouldercrest.org/), a Veterans charity important to William.
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