WILTON – James “Jim” J. McDonald, 58, died Feb. 2, 2005, after a courageous battle with a lengthy illness, with his family by his side, at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston. He was born June 9, 1946, in Millinocket, a son of the late George Craig Cormack and Glenis Fern (Higgins) McDonald. He attended Millinocket schools and was a graduate of Stearns High School, Class of 1964. He graduated from the former Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute in 1966. On Oct. 27, 1967, he married the former Martha J. Thorndike in Weld. For more than 24 years he worked at International Paper in Jay and then with Boise in Rumford until his retirement in 1996. He was a member of the Farmington Elks No. 2430, where he served as Exhalted Ruler in 1983. He was a Cub Scout and Weblos leader and a former member of the East Dixfield Fire Department. Jim assisted with the institution of the Hazmat team and fire brigade at the International Paper Mill in Jay. He enjoyed woodworking, puttering around and tinkering on anything, “there wasn’t much he couldn’t do”. He loved to spend time on his boat especially with his grandchildren who were the light of his life. He will be remembered as a very special man to his family and many friends. In addition to his wife of more than 37 years of Wilton, he is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Scott and her companion, Scott Sanders, of Wilton; two sons, James McDonald II and his wife, Erica, of New Hampshire; Timothy McDonald and his wife, Heather, of Turner; a sister, Elizabeth “Betty” Bouchard and her husband, Leo, of Millinocket; seven grandchildren, Bradley and Brandon Scott, Morgan and Cecelia McDonald, Heather Kaye, Brianna and Hunter McDonald; stepgrandson, Randall Doak; a special cousin, Gail Labbe and her husband, Joseph, of Windham; a special friend, Kendall Burdin and his wife, Ann, of Wilton; many nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two brothers, Carl who died in 1960, and Phillip “Squeak” who died in 2000. Relatives and friends are invited to call 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, 2005, at Western Mountains Cremation and Funeral Service, 488 Farmington Falls Road, Farmington. A memorial service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon, Feb. 5, 2005, at the Farmington Elks, in West Farmington. Should friends so desire donations may be made in Jim’s memory to the National Kidney Foundation of Maine, P.O. Box 1134, Portland, ME 04104-1134 or to the Farmington Elks in support of youth sports programs, P.O. Box 526, West Farmington, ME 04992-0526.
JAMES ‘JIM’ J. MCDONALD
