Michael George McDonald

Michael McDonald, groundwater hydrologist and founding president of McDonald Morrissey Associates, Inc., died peacefully at his home in Kensington, Maryland on October 24, 2023, after a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Constance O’Donnell McDonald; his son Christopher McDonald, his wife Candace Kane and their children Samantha, Camille, and Ethan; his daughter Laura McDonald and her daughter, Shannon; and his daughter Catherine McDonald Watson, her husband David, and their children Sarah and Natalie. He leaves behind five nephews and seven nieces, and many friends and colleagues.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Michael was the fifth of seven children. His parents, John, and Ethel McDonald, as well as three of his siblings (Mary McDonald Doyle, Cecelia McDonald and John McDonald) have pre-deceased him. His remaining siblings (Kathleen McDonald Provence, Ellen McDonald Jancski, and Brigid McDonald Boettcher) as well as his sister-in-law, Carol Blachley-McDonald, share the in the sorrow of his death.

Michael graduated from Midwood High School in Brooklyn, where he was on the Math Team. He received a N.Y. State Regents Scholarship and used it to attend Fordham University, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. He received a scholarship from the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated with a Master of Science degree in Mathematics. Following his studies at Notre Dame, he worked in Towson, MD for the U.S. Geological Survey until he was inducted into the U.S. Navy. Upon successful completion of Officer’s Candidate School in Pensacola, FL, he attended additional training programs in air intelligence. He was then stationed NAS Jacksonville until he had fulfilled his commitment to the Navy in 1970.

After leaving the Navy, Michael obtained his Master of Science degree in Computer Science at Rutgers University before returning to the U.S. Geological Survey. He realized that he liked the mission as well as the work of the Survey and from that time on, groundwater became his focus and his intellectual passion. His education in Mathematics and Computer Science allowed him to bring the best of both fields to the projects he conducted at the Survey.

Throughout a long career with the Survey, Michael made several important contributions to understanding groundwater resources. The 1970s and 80s were a time of growing awareness of the grave threats to groundwater posed by overuse and contamination. Computer modelling was emerging as a critical tool for addressing these problems but could be laborious to use. In 1984 Michael and his colleague and friend Arlen Harbaugh introduced a “modular” groundwater computer model they called MODFLOW that greatly streamlined the process. By the 1990s MODFLOW was in wide use and had become a globally accepted standard for resolving questions in water regulation, legal proceedings, and scientific studies. Succeeding versions of MODFLOW underpin much of the model development at the Survey and elsewhere to this day.In 1990, Michael left the U.S. Geological Survey and co-founded the groundwater consulting firm of McDonald Morrissey Associates, Inc. with offices in Reston, VA and Hopkinton, NH. Michael retired from the firm in 2013.

Michael traveled extensively for work and leisure - he saw the Southern Cross over Sydney Harbor and he traveled over land from Moscow to the Arctic Circle. He read voraciously, especially books about U.S. and European history, and could quote 18th century English poetry with ease. He rode his bicycle across Iowa in the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) three times with his closest friends. He was a member of a long-standing poker group until Alzheimer’s disease made it impossible to continue playing.

Michael was the first to laugh and find humor in the mundane. He was always calculating, encouraging his bored children to estimate the number of bricks in a building, or to calculate the value of the cubed root of 4 with no paper or pencil. He taught his grandchildren about topographical maps, the density of rocks, and imparted in them an interest in the wonders of the world around them. He loved long walks on the beach on Cape Cod, where he also looked forward to beautiful sunsets and ice cream on the back deck.

Michaels was a life well lived. He worked hard but took time to enjoy life. He loved good food, fine wine, old scotch and, most importantly, spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are provided by the DeVol Funeral Home in Georgetown. Visitation will take place October 30th from 10:30 to 11:30 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial starting at 11:30 at 3513 N St. NW, Washington, DC. Following the Mass, internment will take place at the nearby Oak Hill Cemetery, 3001 R St. NW, Washington, DC. A light lunch will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the JSSA Hospice, 6123 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852.