Desmond Wesley McDonald passed away of natural causes on Nov. 29, 2016, in Kalispell.
Desmond was born April 23, 1926, in Mount Hope, Washington, to Velma Fae and Benjamin McDonald. He was raised and educated in Rockford, Washington, graduating from Rockford High School in 1944. After graduation, he worked for Spokane County for six years.
On July 18, 1947, he married Bernice Bernet in Spokane, and they made their home in the Spokane Valley for five years.
Desmond served in the U.S. Air Force from December 1951 through December 1955, receiving an honorable discharge as staff sergeant. During his Air Force career, he was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; and the last three years at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. In early 1954, he was privileged to participate in a six-week Good Will Tour of South America, traveling on a C-124. Stops were made at Macdill Air Force Base in Florida; Panama City; Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Belem, Brazil.
They expanded their family with the birth of their first son, Marvin, in 1954. Three years later Keith was born.
Upon returning to Spokane in May 1956, Desmond worked two more years for Spokane County. In 1958, he began working for the Federal Aviation Administration as an electronic technician in Drummond. In 1961, he was transferred to the Missoula County Airport. In 1964, daughter Jeaneane arrived, followed by Kevin two years later.
During Desmond’s FAA career, he attended numerous equipment schools at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. He retired in Missoula in 1982 with 32 years of active service.
Beginning in 1964 and for about 20 years, Desmond enjoyed working with the Rattlesnake Troop 4 Boy Scouts, serving with Cub Scouts, Webelos, Boy Scouts and forming an Explorer Post. The Scouts went on numerous hikes including the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, Mission Mountains, as well as Melita Island Boy Scout Camp and many winter and summer camps. He served as scoutmaster for seven years and on the Explorer Post Scout Committee for four years.
Desmond joined the First United Methodist Church in Missoula in 1961 and enjoyed doing all types of maintenance work at the church.
For many years Desmond and Bernice participated in the spring and fall work weekends at the Flathead United Methodist Church Camp at Rollins. Desmond joined Grace United Methodist Church in 2001.
Desmond was a member of Harmony Lodge No. 49 A.F. & A.M. in Missoula and Missoula Valley Scottish Rites.
In May 1984, Desmond and Bernice, along with a small group of bereaved parents, organized the Missoula Chapter of The Compassionate Friends. Desmond served as Chapter leader for four years.
Desmond enjoyed camping and traveling with the family. After retirement, he and Bernice completed touring of 48 states, especially enjoying the fall foliage in the New England states and driving the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Desmond greatly enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting and tying his own fishing flies. He once said that he would like to pass away while fishing and trolling in the middle of a Montana lake. He also loved vegetable and flower gardening and yard work, as well as the family dogs and cats throughout his lifetime.
In January 2010, Desmond and Bernice moved to Kalispell to be closer to their son, Kevin, and wife, Sara.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Marvin and Keith; brothers, Harold and Conway McDonald; sister, Ruth Ann Moldenhauer; and wife, Bernice, in November 2014.
Desmond is survived by daughter, Jeaneane Tam, and her husband, Mark, of Lexington, South Carolina; son, Kevin McDonald, and his wife, Sara, of Kalispell; brother, John McDonald, of Fairfield, Washington; and daughter-in-law, the Rev. Yong Hui McDonald of Brighton, Colorado. He was blessed with six grandchildren, Nicole Peters, Fletcher McDonald, Holly McDonald, Carly McDonald, Lindsay McDonald and Mariah Tam; and also four great-grandchildren, Teila Peters, Jamie Peters, Lindsay Peters and Tyson Peters.
Memorial services will be held in Missoula and Rockford at future dates.
Arrangements have been handled by Buffalo Hill Funeral Home in Kalispell. Friends are encouraged to visit the website, www.buffalohillfh.com , to leave notes of condolence for the family.