Timothy Patrick McDonough

Timothy Patrick McDonough passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on October 13, 2026 at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii. Tim was born on June 25, 1959 and grew up in Highland Park, Illinois, where he lived until his junior year of high school, when the family moved to Racine, Wisconsin. Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas McDonough and Jacqueline Getzin (formerly McDonough), stepfather Gerald Getzin, and brothers Thomas Jr. (infant), John and Patrick. Tim is survived by three sons: Thomas (Celestina) McDonough of Tucson, Arizona, Sean McDonough of Honolulu, and Taisei Yao of Osaka, Japan. Tim is also survived by his granddaughter Christina, siblings Marjorie, Morgan (Tracy) and Kathleen (John) Mundo, as well as nephews and nieces Molly, Baylee, Brian, Morgan, Isabel, Michael and Caroline.

Tim was an incredibly earnest, sincere, and hard-working individual, who found a way to enter the workforce before legally permissible at age 12, scooping ice cream at Mayberry's in Highland Park. Through on-the-job training and mentoring, Tim later became a chef at Flossmoor Country Club, followed by stints at Old Vinings Inn and Bernard's in Atlanta, where his boss recognized his talent and remarkable work ethic, and sent him to Alsace, France for formal training in the French culinary arts. In his mid-twenties, after working in Chicago and Atlanta, Tim moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he would raise his family, and remain a proud Hawaiian for the remainder of his life. He was greatly loved by anyone lucky enough to know him and call him a friend. Over the next four decades, Tim worked in local hotels and restaurants in Honolulu, including the Breakers and Halekulani hotels, in addition to cheffing at a popular food truck in Oahu.

If you were fortunate to know Tim well, he would happily come to your home to entertain and cook for anyone from two to two hundred people, making it look easy, stocking your fridge with meals on end. Tim was a devout Catholic, and his religious faith remained a constant throughout his entire life. He was also a dedicated sports fan, and especially loved the Chicago Cubs, Green Bay Packers, and the Fighting Irish. More than anything, Tim loved his family, friends, good music, and good food. We will miss his unmistakable laughter, sense of humor, honesty, inquisitive nature, his unlimited support for family and friends from all walks of life, and his unbridled enthusiasm for life. We are deeply grateful to his work family, especially Ethel Nada, who treated him with nothing but kindness for decades. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, October 26th, at 10 a.m. at St. Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church, 130 Ohua Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii.