Harold "Hal" Day McDonald Jr.

Harold Day “Hal” McDonald, Jr., adored husband, brother, uncle and friend, passed away behind the wheel of a car he had lovingly rebuilt on Sunday, March 3rd. He leaves behind his devoted wife of nearly 28 years, Laurie Ella, as well as his beloved siblings, nieces, nephew, and countless friends.

Born and raised in Jackson, Hal was a graduate of Jackson Academy and later the University of Southern Mississippi where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Following college, Hal followed his father’s footsteps into the insurance business and later worked with his brother at McDonald Claims.

From a young age, Hal began honing his lifelong passion of “tinkering.” He had a real talent for repairing broken items and disassembling and reassembling cars with precision, no matter how intricate. More like “Hal MacGuyver,” he could fix anything with nothing, and was the first person his friends and family called if they needed help with “tinkering” or anything car-related.

With his beloved wife by his side, Hal led a full life savoring the simple things, spending time with family, and pursuing his many hobbies. An outdoorsman, he also enjoyed photography, hunting with his metal detector, and most of all, working on his vintage cars at The Motor Club in West Jackson. Cooking and grilling on the Big Green Egg, a cherished gift from his wife, was another passion of Hal’s. The hours he spent on the Egg crafting meals to share with his family will always be appreciated and never forgotten, nor will all the grilling and cooking tips and tricks he shared with his loved ones.

Hal was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Ethelyn McDonald, nephew Steven Downs, and brother-in-law Walter Heslep. He is survived by his wife Laurie Ella, sister Linda, brother Gary (Sandra), sister Tammy Franklin (Scott), nieces Kristen Miller (Brent), Christina Temple (Mitch), Mary Landon Pope (Chris), Janet Huffstatler (BJ), and nephew Eric McDonald (Heather), as well as numerous great nieces and nephews who all adored him.

Visitation services to honor Hal’s life will be held on Friday, March 8 from 5-7PM and Saturday, March 9 at 11AM at Parkway Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 12PM and a reception to celebrate Hal’s life and impact will be held there directly after.

The void Hal’s death has left for all who knew him is already profoundly and deeply felt. A family member said of Hal, “he was a man of very few words, but every word counted.” Of his life we say, we did not get enough moments with Hal, but every single one of them we got, counted.