Bradley John Macdonald

Bradley John Macdonald of Aptos, California, passed away at home on Sunday, May 26, 2024 after a short battle with stomach cancer. He was 63 years old.

Brad had an amazing zest and passion for life. He loved to surf, ski, swim, camp, hike, and be with family and friends. He made friends everywhere he went and was so loved by all. Brad's roots and love for community ran deep. He was a 5th generation Californian.

Brad was born in 1961 in Sacramento, California, one of four children to Carol (Stephenson Macdonald) Ortega and Murray Macdonald. When Brad was 5 years old his family moved to Rio del Mar, where Brad quickly fell in love with living on the coast. He graduated from Aptos High School in 1979 and afterwards attended Cabrillo College.

His first love was the ocean. As a young boy, Brad would grab his fishing pole and walk down to the Seacliff Pier to go fishing. At age 12, he discovered his love for surfing in Hawaii during a family vacation. His passion for surfing was always with him even until the very end. Brad also learned to ski as a boy in Lake Tahoe. In his 20's he worked as a ski patrol for Mammoth Mountain Ski Area which is when his passion for skiing truly began; in recent years his love for skiing grew even more. He would wait for the storms, drive up just before they hit, and find as much powder as possible. Brad was an adventurer at heart.

Brad and Debie Chirco-Macdonald met in 1992 at a wedding in La Selva Beach, California. They married in 1995 and had celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary two weeks before he passed away. They had two daughters, Melissa and Sierra.

Brad spent 26 years as a driver with Airborne Express/DHL, retiring in 2015. He also worked for Las Animas Concrete in the 1980's and returned part time in 2017.

Brad and Debie loved to camp and hike extensively, taking numerous trips in the last seven years across the western states (particularly loving Utah and Colorado). Brad also loved travelling internationally, and spent a year between 2016-2017 exploring New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Europe with his family (Brad, of course, packed his surfboard).

Brad loved to take care of and nurture his home. He especially loved the apple trees and the cypress tree that grew in the yard, spending hours tending and pruning both to a bonsai-level of expertise. Brad poured his skills and creativity into the many building projects and home remodels he completed on Shoreview Drive - fixing the roof, retiling the house, building the kitchen and back studio alongside his friends, and all the many other projects that made his home the beautiful gathering place for friends and family that it is today.

Brad and Debie were amazing hosts and their home truly has an open-door policy. They loved spending time with family, friends and neighbors on their front porch, sharing the delicious food they lovingly prepared and enjoying a beer at the end of the day. He was lovingly called the "Mayor of Shoreview Drive" by his neighbors. It was the street he grew up on, where his grandparents, aunt, and uncle had lived and where he and Debie bought a house together in 1996.

Brad is survived by his wife, Debie Chirco-Macdonald of Aptos, daughter Melissa Fiber and husband Chris Fiber of Florida, daughter Sierra Macdonald and partner Max Vanhorn of Colorado, father Murray Macdonald and stepmother Dora of Seaside, mother-in-law Eva Kilburn of Aptos, brother Scott Macdonald of Aptos, sister Kathy Goodman and husband Brian of Aromas, sister Merrilee Tunink and husband Mike of Aptos, stepbrother Martin Ortega of El Cerrito, stepsister Maria Ortega of Aptos, stepbrother Paul Ortega of Palm Springs, 4 grandchildren (Shane, Liam, Nova & Gabriel), sister-in-law Sue Chirco-Coontz and husband Brian of Washington, aunt Sylvia Chandler of Virginia, uncle Tyrus Stephenson and wife Elaine of Rancho Murietta, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Brad was preceded in death by his mother Carol in 2023, his stepfather Rudy Ortega in 2021, and his stepbrother Peter Ortega in 2020.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024 from 1-5 pm at Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos, CA.