William Hamilton McDonald III

William “Bill” Hamilton McDonald passed away peacefully on January 26, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones, following a heart attack. He was the beloved only son of William H. McDonald, II and Laurel A. (Mealy) McDonald, born July 26, 1954, in Albany, NY. When Bill was young it was clear to those around him that he was destined to be an engineer, a profession he truly loved. Bill graduated from Shaker High School in Latham, NY, where he was on the track and field and swimming teams. Bill earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Vermont (UVM) in Burlington, VT in 1976. His love of skiing drew him to the mountains of VT and UVM. It was here that he became a ski instructor and met his late wife Sharon M Ruane. In 1990 Sharon and Bill adopted their beautiful daughter Katherine, affectionately known to them as Katie.

Bill loved his work as a Civil Engineer and it took him on many adventures all over the world. He worked on many projects, including the design of sections of the I-95 highway, led the development of electronic license plate technology, and worked at Raytheon on engineering upgrades to improve security at U.S. airports. This led to an assignment with the U.S. Department of State to ensure that embassies around the world were structurally secure from terrorist attacks. He also worked for the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, DC, overseeing the architectural upgrades to buildings such as the U.S. Supreme Court and the botanical gardens. In his retirement, he was developing new safety protocols for ski resorts and new materials for skis that combined his engineering expertise with his passion for skiing.

Although Bill was a hard rock music fan in his youth, he developed an interest in various musical genres, including jazz. He shared his love of music with Katie. They could often be found in the garage tinkering or on road trips to nowhere together. His love of music lives on in Katie as well as his special brand of McDonald fortitude and strength.

Bill loved strongly and deeply. He is survived by his daughter, Katherine Marie McDonald, his sister, Nancy McDonald, and his fiancée, Monica Derbes Gibson. He also leaves behind many friends across the world whom he cherished deeply. A sentimental man to his core, Bill proposed to Monica with the ring his late father gave to his late mother.

Those wishing to remember Bill are welcome to attend services at St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill, 313 Second Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. on Saturday, February 22 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Suburban Hospital Foundation or a charity you hold dear.