Todd Mark MacDowall

Todd MacDowall, of Forest, Virginia, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ following a six-year health battle that he faced with extraordinary strength, determination and very little complaint.

Born June 18, 1964, in Cold Spring, New York, Todd was the son of the late Harry Hubert MacDowall and Barbara Ann MacDowall. His life was shaped from an early age by a deep and genuine faith. At just eight years old, he accepted Christ as his Savior at Second Kent Baptist Church in Connecticut. From that day forward, his relationship with the Lord continued to grow and became the foundation upon which he built his life, his marriage, his family and his career.

Todd attended Liberty University, where he majored in Pre-Med. It was there, on October 7, 1986, during his senior year and Audrey’s freshman year, that he met the young woman who would become the love of his life. When the time came for Todd to ask Audrey’s father, Eric, for her hand in marriage, Eric gladly gave his blessing because he recognized in Todd a young man who was sincerely growing in his Christian faith.

Todd and Audrey were married on September 22, 1990, beginning a marriage filled with love, laughter and a shared devotion to their family. They often joked about how different they were—the cheerleader had married the “science dude”—but those differences made their life together all the more special. Todd was a deeply loving and devoted husband, and their marriage was a source of tremendous joy to them both.

Todd continued his education at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, where he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Although the initials following his name professionally were “D.C.,” Todd liked to say they meant something even more important to him than Doctor of Chiropractic—they stood for “Disciple of Christ.”

In 1993, Todd founded Light Chiropractic in Lynchburg and faithfully served his patients there through December 2025. Chiropractic care was far more than a profession to Todd; it was another way for him to serve people. He genuinely cared about those who came through his doors, listened to their stories and took a personal interest in their lives. His skill earned him a loyal following, with patients traveling from near and far to see him and affectionately saying that he had “magic hands.”

Yet it was Todd’s compassion, kindness and godly influence that left the greatest impression. Over the years, he received hundreds of cards and letters from patients and friends sharing stories of the difference he had made in their lives. He treated people as individuals, never as appointments on a schedule, and was never too busy to offer encouragement, lend a hand or simply listen. Todd loved people, and he extended kindness to everyone he met, regardless of who they were or where they came from.

As meaningful as his career was, nothing compared to Todd’s love for his family. He treasured being a father to his son, Michael, and his twin daughters, Megan and Kristin. He was a fun, steady and consistent presence in their lives and shared a close relationship with each of them. When his grandchildren, James and Myla, came along, Todd was absolutely overjoyed. Being their grandfather brought him a new kind of happiness, and they quickly held a very special place in his heart.

Todd was also deeply devoted to his four brothers. Family bonds mattered greatly to him, and he valued the relationships he shared with his extended family throughout his life.

Those who knew Todd well knew that behind his quiet manner was tremendous inner strength. He was quietly competitive, most often with himself, and believed in accomplishing things through consistency, commitment and perseverance. He faced challenges with a strength that many people never fully realized he possessed. Inside, he was stronger than steel.

Early mornings would often find Todd sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bible and praying. His faith was not something reserved for Sundays or special occasions; it was woven into the fabric of his everyday life. He sought to live what he believed and to demonstrate his faith through the way he loved and served others.

Todd was also very much a “man’s man.” He loved chainsaws, tractors, lawn mowers, tools, knives, the outdoors and boating, and there seemed to be very little he could not repair. If something was broken, Todd could usually figure out how to fix it. His brilliant and curious mind was constantly at work, and he enjoyed understanding how things worked and mastering new skills.

One of those passions was aviation. Todd earned his private pilot’s license, and flying became his favorite hobby. Few things gave him the sense of freedom and enjoyment he found in the cockpit and in the skies.

He also possessed a talent that sometimes surprised those who knew him—Todd was an accomplished drummer. Music brought him great enjoyment, and he could “jam with the best of them,” appreciating many different genres throughout his life.

Todd fought his health battle fiercely and quietly for six years. He endured difficult days without allowing them to define him and rarely complained about what he was facing. His family now finds comfort and joy in knowing that his suffering has ended and that the faith he carried from childhood throughout his entire life has become sight. They rejoice in knowing he is pain-free and at home with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and they can imagine him hearing the words he lived his life to hear: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Todd’s life verse was Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Todd is survived by his beloved wife since September 22, 1990, Audrey Kristin MacDowall of Forest; his three children, Michael Aaron MacDowall and his fiancé, Claire Gregory, of Kennesaw, Georgia, Megan Elizabeth Chapman and her husband, Carter, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and Kristin Maria Chaffee and her husband, Luke, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida; and his treasured grandchildren, James Scott and Myla Elizabeth.

He is also survived by his four brothers, Randy MacDowall of Pocatello, Idaho, Terry MacDowall and his wife, Lynell, of Newark, Delaware, Tim MacDowall of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Darryl MacDowall and his wife, LaGaye, of Chesapeake, Virginia; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Eric and Willy McGrew of Bowdon, Georgia; and other members of the McGrew family, including brother-in-law Aaron McGrew of Bremen, Georgia, and sister-in-law Eliska McGrew of Shelby, Alabama.

Todd is further survived by a large and much-loved extended family, including his nieces and nephews, Daniel Click of Shelby, Alabama; Luke McGrew of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Hannah McGrew of Savannah, Georgia; Luke MacDowall of Houston, Texas; Ross MacDowall of Katy, Texas; Tyler MacDowall of Nashotah, Wisconsin; Alexsa MacDowall of Zambia, Africa; Logan MacDowall of Alexandria, Virginia; Joshua MacDowall and Jordan MacDowall of Newark, Delaware; Jason MacDowall of Bella Vista, Arkansas; Timothy MacDowall of Maineville, Ohio; Maeghan MacDowall of Wake Forest, North Carolina; and Matthew MacDowall of Leland, North Carolina, along with countless friends, patients and others whose lives were made better because Todd was part of them.

Todd lived with purpose. He loved his wife and family wholeheartedly, served others generously, worked diligently, enjoyed life fully and trusted the Lord faithfully. The influence he leaves behind cannot be measured simply by the years he lived, but by the many people he encouraged, helped, healed, loved and pointed toward Christ.

A Celebration of Todd’s Life and Faith will be conducted at 11:00 am Friday, September 4, 2026 at Thomas Road Baptist Church with Pastor Jonge Tate officiating. Interment will follow in Virginia Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 pm Thursday, September 3, 2026 at Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Todd & Audrey request that in lieu of flowers and cards, please make contributions to your personal local church and Christian School Educations in honor of Todd.

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A note from Audrey ...

Todd began his cancer journey when it was discovered on my momma's birthday celebration week in the Summer of 2021. We were a team, and fought it hard together, in every way you can fight it. My husband is the strongest person I have ever known and he was very brave. On December 30, 2025, Todd became paralyzed from the thoracic area down when it metastasized to almost every level of his precious spine. What we have just been through the past 8 months is beyond description and the highest level of difficulty. Fortunately, when this hit us, we were both growing a lot in our personal relationship with God. Having a relationship with God is a decision, and Pastor Jonge Tate just described how you can have one too. Please accept Him today if you know you need to; without Jesus, you can't really survive hard stuff. With Jesus, He loves you unconditionally and He helps you a lot no matter what problems you have in your life. If you already do have a personal relationship with Jesus, make getting closer to Him and Obeying Him your #1 priority. Humbly, this is what Todd and I did, and it's the only reason we have joy and peace, even in the reality of "til death do us part". You are going to die too, are you ready to meet Jesus and are you living in such a way that you will hear the words "well done, thou good and faithful servant" when you meet Him?

God knew what we were going through was extra hard. So, He sent somebody to encourage us EVERY SINGLE DAY, and many of you are in this room at Todd's funeral, or watching on-line. Can you imagine a God that loves you so much, that when you accept Him, you not only get a relationship with Him, but you get a new FAMILY - the Family of God! On behalf of my husband, I want to thank you with ALL of my heart for what you all did to encourage us. We remember every single person and every single thing you did for us. We also KNOW that your PRAYERS were the POWER behind what we were painfully trying to survive together.

Todd and I had good senses of humor, and many times, we would be in awe and wonder of how you were helping us, and he would say, "why do people love us so much?". And I would say, "I don't know, but I'm so glad they do!" We are still blown away by your love, and how you helped us, you were oxygen for our souls.

Without any exaggeration, Todd suffered very greatly, and this is why we rejoice he is pain-free in heaven. I did my very best to help him & encourage him in every way possible and it's important to me for you to know this.

To Todd's Medical Professionals, you will forever have a place in my heart with deep appreciation as we cared for him together. To the RN who worked with me to save Todd's life at home that day in April 2025, you know who you are, and because you stayed calm & acted quickly, I got more time with my beloved husband. To my friend who told me "Audrey, God still has a wonderful plan for your life"... I believe you, sweet sister.

We don't understand why God allowed this, but we trust His Sovereignty.

Much Love,

Audrey