Jimmy Neil McDonald

November 28, 1931 – June 1, 2021

A caring husband, loving father and compassionate friend to many, Jim McDonald was a man whose character was measured by his generosity, integrity and perseverance.

Jimmy (Jim) Neil McDonald, age 89, passed away on June 1, 2021. He was born in Olney, Texas, to Ernest Lee and Susie Beatrice McDonald and spent his younger years on the family farm in Iowa Park, Texas. The farming life was not an easy life, especially after a full school day, late football and basketball practices, and then hours completing his daily chores, which included his least favorite one — milking the cows. However, Jim was always driven and earned many high school honors including Senior Class President, Football Captain and Most Representative.

His strong work ethic and desire to succeed led Jim from Iowa Park to North Texas College, where he worked two jobs to support his young family of three, while earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Insurance. Upon graduating in 1952, he first went to work for Mobil Oil as an accountant, but soon discovered he loved working with people more than numbers. Making the decision to move from accounting to insurance as a career path set the stage for a lifetime of professional success and long-lasting personal relationships.

Jim’s introduction to insurance sales was at Employers Insurance of Texas in 1959. By 1971, his reputation for solving complex risk management problems allowed him to start his own insurance brokerage consulting firm, where he secured highly sought after accounts with industry leading companies including Helzberg Diamonds, the King Ranch, Neuhoff Brothers Meat Packing, United Supermarkets of Texas and Oklahoma, Wright Brand Foods and Zales Corporation.

Jim’s success as a young insurance broker was quickly noticed and he was subsequently recruited by his lifelong mentor, Jack Warde, to bring his sales and insurance expertise to Bayly, Martin & Fay International, which grew to become the 6th largest insurance brokerage firm in the world. At Bayly, Martin & Fay, he was president of the Fort Worth office before leaving to serve as president of Frank B. Hall Company in 1989. With a competitive spirit and entrepreneurial bent, Jim once again formed his own brokerage firm, McDonald & Company, in 1992. For the past 19 years, he has continued to attract new clients and secure repeated renewals at MHBT, Inc.

Jim’s love of sales and building personal relationships never faltered. His 61 years of success in the insurance industry are a testimony to his ability to work smarter and harder while turning client relationships into friendships.

As much as he loved his professional life, Jim’s real passion was his family, especially his devoted wife Sharron and his five daughters. He was constantly surrounded by these strong women and he was known as the ultimate “girl dad”. He combined his love of family with his love of travelling by organizing “Girls’ Trips with Dad” to New York, San Francisco, Ireland, London, Santa Fe and Chicago. Travelling with six women required an incredible amount patience and a strong sense of humor, but Jim knew that these memories would be treasured forever by his “girls”.

However, his investment in family did not stop with his wife and daughters, as he treated all the grandchildren to annual family reunions at South Padre Island and even a trip to Disney World. There was also the highly anticipated McDonald Christmas, celebrated with more than 40 filled Christmas stockings lining the living room walls — one for every daughter and spouse, every grandchild and spouse and every great-grandchild.

The depth of Jim’s character can truly be measured by his generosity — to family, to friends and to strangers. When his children were in need, he gave without hesitation, and he made generous donations —from scholarships to high school students to funding for a women’s shelter to clothing for rape victims. More than once, he gave assistance to stranded strangers that he encountered while travelling between client visits.

Jim leaves behind his wife of 19 years, Sharron Green McDonald. He is survived by his sister Sue Davis and her husband, Dan; daughter Susan Padgett and her husband, Donn; daughter Diana Nelson and her husband, Jon; daughter Joy Houser and her husband, Brian; daughter Kelly Dworaczyk and her husband, Kevin; daughter Andrea Low and her husband, Jonathan; ten grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his father Ernest McDonald, his mother Susie Beatrice McDonald and his brother Harold McDonald.

There will be public visitation from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Sunday at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Corsicana. The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, burial to follow at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas.

Memorials in Jim's name can be made to Westminster Child Enrichment Program (CEP) at 312 N. 13th Street, Corsicana, TX, 75110 or to Compassion Corsicana Food Pantry at P.O. Box 2256, Corsicana, TX, 75151.