William Thomas McDonald

1969 - 2014

On the evening of Thursday June 5th, 2014, between 8:00 and 10:00PM Bill passed away peacefully at his home in Phoenix, Bill was only 44 years young. Bill was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin and friend. He was born on December 22nd 1969, in Storm Lake, Iowa. Bill was the 4th child and the 3rd son of Ed and Jeanne McDonald. As a youth, Bill had a great love and respect of the outdoors and for nature. He learned to trap from his oldest brother Shawn. Bill quickly took over for Shawn and became an outstanding trapper. He was also an avid hunter; His fondest early memories of hunting were the November Pheasant hunts in Iowa. Bill kept the hunting and fishing tradition alive in Arizona with his extended family and friends. Bill’s fishing love began very early in life when Grandpa Reilly introduced him to “Blood and Guts”. Blood and Guts was grandpa’s best rod and reel. The Reel was an “open reel” that had a “tendency” to “Backlash”. Only two people were capable of taming ol’ Blood and Guts… Grandpa and Bill… Bill was a small business owner in partnership with Tamara Martinez. Both Bill and Tamara knew the customer came before profit… If you needed equipment on Sunday, Bill and Tamara made sure you had it. Bill was baptized a Roman Catholic and attended the church of the outdoors where he spoke to God while he was standing among the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. Bill had four loves in his life… His beautiful wife and soul mate Bonnie, his best bud and son Trey, his love of being a firefighter and his love of fly fishing. Bill couldn’t be bothered by “inferior” fly’s while fly fishing so he read and taught himself how to tie is own fly’s which quickly became a passion… and Bill was truly a fly tying Ninja. Bill is preceded in death by his mentor and grandfather Leonard Reilly, grandmother; Margret Reilly, grandmother; Lorena McDonald, grandfather: Leonard McDonald, Aunt Donna Woxell, and Cousins Lenny Woxell and Benji Bohn. Bill is survived by his wife Bonnie, son Trey, Brothers: Shawn and Tim (Nancy), Sisters Bridget and Angela (Bob) Reynolds, Parents Ed and Jeanne, Aunts & Uncles Lenny & Carol McDonald, Bobby McDonald and John Woxell, several Cousins and numerous extended families. “A wise man told me once; it’s not how many fish you catch, it's where fly fishing takes you in life”…. (Michael L. Yelton) Visitation was held at Greenwood Memorial Lawn, 719 N. 27th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009, June 12, 5:00-8:00PM. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Thomas More, 6180 W. Utopia Rd. Glendale, AZ. June 13 at 10:00 AM