Robert Kevin McDonald

Robert Kevin McDonald died peacefully at home on August 23, 2024, at the age of 72. Robert (AKA: Bob, Rob, Mac, Bobby G., and Uncle Bobby) was born in Salzburg Austria, followed 12 minutes later by his twin sister Lynnie. They were welcomed into a family of two sisters, Phyllis and Gayle and a brother, Michael – Army brats all. A couple of years later another sister, Susie, joined the family.

By the time he turned five, they were living in Japan. These were good years for Bob. They stayed in Japan until he was ten years old – formative years for which he was forever grateful. One of his fondest memories was of a friendship with a young Japanese boy whose father owned a bicycle shop. Bob had learned a little Japanese and this boy was learning English. Bob was humbled by this family, who more than once invited him to their house for lunch or dinner. He marveled at and never forgot their kindness and respect toward him and each other. He came away with a great admiration for the Japanese people and their culture.

Back in the States, the family spent a couple of years in Georgia and after his father’s retirement, settled in Miami. Bob was an avid reader from a very young age, and always an A student. Due to the largess of an uncle, Bob had the opportunity to attend Andover, a highly regarded prep school in New England. Bob often said that that gift was the most significant turning point of his life. Andover was a challenge and a little intimidating at first, but by his senior year he was the captain of the football team, (yes, Bill Belichick was on his team), and graduated with honors. It was toward the end of the war in Vietnam, where his brother, Michael had served in combat, and after graduation; Bob enlisted in the US Marine Corp where he was trained as a paratrooper, but never deployed.

Two years later he was at Harvard, playing football, and completing his military commitment in the US Marine Corps Reserves. Bob’s dream was to become a writer, but in the meantime bills had to be paid and he ended up in Louisiana working as a drilling engineer on offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. It was in New Orleans that he met and married his first wife, Laura LeCorgne, who gave birth to a daughter, Charlotte, his only child.

This marriage was short-lived and Bob was back in New England at Yale earning an MBA – and from there to Wall Street, where he enjoyed his international travels - a perk of his position in mergers and acquisitions. He loved living in Manhattan, where he spent 25 years taking advantage of everything the city had to offer.

In his early fifties, he moved to the country to fulfill his life-long ambition to write. When he learned that his father had been a hero in the Battle of the Bulge in Hotton Belgium in WWII. Compelled to learn more; Bob spent weeks at the National Archives in Washington, three trips to Belgium, and a couple of years traveling around this country interviewing more than ninety old veterans of that battle who were still alive at the time. His book, The Hotton Report, was published in 2006, and today Bob is recognized as the authority of this crucial battle of WWII. He was granted the key to the city of Hotton. In January 2023, on his last visit there, Bob was pleasantly surprised to see a large roadside memorial and obelisk commemorating that battle, which exists solely due to the extensive work he had done. He was gratified to know that his mission to honor his father had resulted in a significant historical record for which he continues to receive accolades.

Bob was still writing and living in the Blueridge Mountains of North Carolina with his family of two large dogs when he met the love of his life (and future wife), Tess Headley. It was an instant connection. They were in their sixties, both single for many years, when their “two universes collided” (his words). He often called it “The miracle of us”. He moved from the east coast to the desert southwest, where they made their home on Lake Las Vegas in Henderson Nevada, a place he loved. He always said these last eleven years with Tess, her family and grandchildren, who fondly called him “Bobby G (for Grand)”, were the best years of his life.

But he likely said that about every year and every single thing. That’s who he was. Bob relished every connection, whether a friendship, a foreign culture, an animal, a phrase in a book, a lifelong friend or a one-time acquaintance. He absorbed and appreciated every experience. Bob was a bright light in this world; he treated everyone with dignity and was loved by all. His mission was to leave this world a better place, not as a legacy at the end of his life, but every single day, by bringing a smile to someone - to bring joy into the world. He loved all creatures, but he had a special place in his heart for dogs. Every dog in South Shore knew “Uncle Bobby.”

Bob had the heart of an angel and the discipline of a Marine. He stayed physically fit his entire life, never smoked, never over-drank, always ate a healthy diet and had a positive attitude. He ran five marathons: Boston three times, New York City twice, and was still running in his late 60s, and hiking until the end. He loved traveling across the pond, was fluent in French, and loved the French culture. He also loved the Brits and made many trips to the UK. His life was full, and he savored every moment. The only thing he couldn’t conquer was Alzheimer’s Disease. At the very end, his strong athletic heart suddenly gave out, giving him a pass to a place where he’s brilliant and strong again. The force of his love will never fade away.