It’s hard to believe it’s been 4 years since you left us, but your love and guidance remain forever in our hearts. Thinking  of you and missing  you everyday❣️😞💔

Wow.  It's been about two years since you first took a medical leave from us here at Al's Doc, and it still feels like your going to walk back in the door.  You left us almost a year and a half ago... still feels like I just saw you the other day.  I have your picture up at my desk with that huge smile of yours, and your old work hat hanging in my garage at home.  Every single time I know I'm going to be working on something serious, or something I'm getting confused on, I put on that old hat of your and just get back to work.  And sure enough, things just seem to work out.

Just know you are still missed buddy.

Way, way back in the early '60's, a beautiful, red haired young man came into my life and swept me right off my feet!  That young man was Ray.  We met at Rollerland where we spent many, many wonderful hours skating around with our friends.  Wow, where have the years gone??  Ray and I married in the Summer of 1966, how young we were, me at 17 and him soon to be turn 20.   After 3 years together, we had our son Robert, with our daughter Brenda coming along two years later.  As happens with many people, Ray and I grew apart and separated after 11 years of marriage and went our separate ways.  Over the years we maintained a fond friendship for each other and shared our new life experiences with each other.  He loved his children, step children and grandchildren and was so very happy when he spent time with them.  The last few years he was lovingly known as "Balloon Grampa" by his youngest grandkids. 
I am humbled to know how much he was loved and cherished by both his families.  He was a man worth every ounce of love and respect that has been bestowed on his memory.  May you rest in peace my love, oxoxox.

It still seems surreal that “Papa’ has left us…43 years ago he came into our lives.  As a young girl from a split family it took me a while to accept that this Man was going to be sticking around …..I was like,  he’s not my Dad…what’s happening? He always made me feel loved  no mater what & let’s just say I wasn’t the easiest teen.  I feel sooo blessed and lucky that he stuck around.  Just recently we were sitting with someone and they asked if I was his daughter…he said well I walked her down the Aisle at their wedding  so in my eyes she’s my daughter.  He was there for all of us no matter what.  He bought me my first  car a little 4 speed vega & taught me how to drive & did the same for the kids. He was there for the birth of his grandson and  granddaughter and up until his last days he always reminded us of how loud Travis’s  cry was when he entered the world.  A couple years later Lexie came along and she had him wrapped around his finger.  There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for them or us. I don’t know how many times I called him with little noises I heard coming from my car while driving and he would  drop every thing and  come to where I was or I’d stop by his place and he’d make sure it was ok & if not he’d make me take his red truck which he always called brown haha and he’d make sure it got  fixed before he let me have it back!  He was there for every special occasion, steak barbecues on our deck & the kids sports games. When Mom started declining with dementia he was so caring and was always there for her and made sure she was ok.  Whenever something had to be done around the house or regarding Mom he would always say I better ask Bridget first, which sometimes I wished he’d make the decision himself, but it showed how much he respected me. He was always thanking us and telling us how much he appreciated what we did for him and we’d say it’s nothing compared to what he did for us. Thank you for everything!! You will be missed & loved for always…’Dad”❤️

Doc was my mentor when it came to work, how to run a business, and the guy I went to every time I needed advice or ask a question.  I can still hear him bugging me first thing in the morning.  "Back when I owned my business, we had the store ready and open by 7, not getting there at 7.", tapping his watch for effect.  He must have said that to me a dozen times, and you know what?  It worked.  Some 15 years later if I don't get to work at least 20 minutes early, I feel guilty.

He was the guy I took on jobsites for major projects, because he thought outside the box.  He always knew how to make things easy, streamline it, simplify it, and make it better.  Just one of the hundreds of lessons I'll never forget.  We took my father on a jobsite with us once.  At lunch, dad's asking where are we headed to for an hour, grab a bite.  Ray and I just sat on the tailgate, quickly ate a sandwich, and got back to work.  "Lunch?  When we're working, we don't take lunch.  We came here to work, and get the job done."

Even when he took his medical leave, he would still come in and visit at least once a week.  And if he couldn't, he'd call in just to see how things were going.  I still remember the last phone conversation he and I had.  It was almost half an hour, just talking.

I'm going to miss those conversations more than anyone can put into words.  The wisdom he had that I always picked at.  The patience he always showed when teaching and explaining something.  I'm sure going to miss you buddy.    I'm truly a far better person in life just for knowing you.

The Pearly Gates malfunctioned, so God called on the best man for the job, my fellow workmate, good friend, and mentor, "Doc Ray" McDonald. At times, hard as a rock on the outside, but pure marshmallow inside. In my seven years working with him he taught
me things you just can't learn conventionally. In my seven years sharing a friendship, he re-established my faith in some people.
When we hung out away from the job, the conversation would be our mutual love of all things automotive (especially the fact we were both ex-racers) and of course his families. Doc loved all his children and grandchildren. His wife was hospitalized the same time as my aging Mother so we spent a lot of time together both in and around the hospital. When my Mother passed earlier this year he was first to call with condolences and kindness. Doc always kept it real, was open and honest to the core. The best friend a guy could have bar none, he'll be extremely missed by all he touched, will stay in my heart always, and when the good Lord calls your number those pearly gates will be working just fine thanks to my good friend Ray. Love Always.Rest in peace brother.

OBITUARY

Raymond Evan Mcdonald

November 21, 1946 – November 25, 2021

Henderson's Funeral Homes & Crematorium

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