Mr. McDonald is survived by his wife, Mary; three children, Raymond A. McDonald, Jr (Katie), Wayne McDonald (Leann) and John McDonald (Rusty). He leaves behind seven grandchildren, Barrett, Walker, Anthony, Kristin, Catie, Megan, Trinity and two great grandchildren, Mark and Leah.
Ray was a veteran of the Vietnam War, where he earned several service medals, including the Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. He grew up in Wakefield, Ma., the son of James and Marie McDonald. As a child, he loved the water and eventually worked as a lifeguard. His love of the sea continued, leading him to join the Navy at the young age of 17. While in the Navy, he served in various culinary positions on carriers and submarines. Upon retirement from the service, Ray continued to use the skills he learned in the Navy. He worked and managed multiple restaurants through the years. He also had a love of flying remote control airplanes, riding motorcycles and vintage cars, but his biggest love was his family in which he took great pride. Ray’s legacy will be his enduring love of his grandchildren and great grandchildren which were the light of his life.
He served 20 years with distinction in the Navy, including 10 years as a submariner. He served three tours in Vietnam and received commendations and awards for his dedication and bravery.
A visitation will be held at Oak Lawn Funeral Home, Friday, January 3 at 11:30 am., followed by the funeral mass at 12:30 pm. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm, for family only, at Barrancas National Cemetery, where full honors will be rendered.
