Robert M MacDonald

MacDONALD, Dr. Robert Michael (BSc, MEd, DDS)— 74, Passed away peacefully surrounded by family on August 14, 2012, in QEII Health Sciences Centre. Born in Antigonish, on April 20, 1938 and raised in Mulgrave, he was a son of the late William C. and Margaret MacDonald. As a boy he enjoyed playing baseball and was a member of the 1954 Maritime Midget Baseball Championship team from Port Hawkesbury. Robert was a proud alumnus of Saint Francis Xavier University graduating in 1959 and then attended Dalhousie School of Dentistry. He served in the Royal Canadian Dental Corps overseas in Cyprus, Germany, Belgium and London. In 1970 Robert returned to Halifax and established a private dental practice. At this time he joined the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie and soon discovered that teaching was his calling. By the early 1980's he had given up his practice to become a professor fulltime. During his teaching career, he was the recipient of numerous awards for his outstanding clinical contribution and dedication towards student life and education. He retired in 2003 but remained active with the dental school until early 2012. Robert was past president of the Halifax County and Nova Scotia Dental Associations and was named a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. He was very committed to his family and his community, serving in various leadership roles with Maskwa Aquatic Club, the Grosvenor-Wentworth PTA and the Rockingham Raiders Soccer Club. Robert was also very proud of his faith as a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and later Saint Benedict Parish where over the years he served many ministries within the church. Robert was an avid sports fan and outdoorsman enjoying golf, baseball, hockey, cross-country skiing, gardening and camping. In 2006, he co-founded the Atlantic Branch of the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Association of Canada (AAMAC), and served on the national board of the association. He became a fierce advocate of stem cell donation, blood disorder research and patient care. Robert is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Jacqueline (Ryan); son, Michael (Karen), Lower Sackville; daughters, Kara (Danny) Bursey, Halifax; Roberta (Chris), Singapore; Allana (Bob) Mills, Halifax; grandchildren, Andrew, Hayley, Sophie, Mack, Claire, Audrey; sisters, Hyla Grant, Saint John, N.B.; Ruth Folan, Norwell, Mass.; Roberta (Henry) Hobaica, Easton, Mass.; brother, Donald (Dorothy), Havre Boucher; sisters-in-law, Teresa MacDonald, North Sydney; Lucille MacDonald, Moncton; numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by sister, Elizabeth "Betty" Kelly; brothers, Hugh "Sonny" and Leonard; half-sisters, Mary (John) Kawaja and Katie (Norris) Penton and brothers-in-law, F. A. "Mike" Kelly, John Folan and Dr. Norbert Grant. Visitation will be held in Saint Benedict Roman Catholic Church on Friday, August 17 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. The funeral will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, August 18 in Saint Benedict Roman Catholic Church with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Association of Canada, Dalhousie Dental Foundation or Saint Benedict Parish. A special thank you to his twin sister Roberta, for her gracious stem cell donation giving Robert an additional nine years with his family.