Kenneth McDonald

Kenneth Michael McDonald, age 62, passed peacefully in his Texas home to be with the Lord on August 8th, 2024, after a 6 month battle with cancer. Kenneth is survived by his wife Catherine Mankin McDonald, daughters Kristina McDonald and AriAnna Quick, her husband Robert and their children Charlotte and Colton, both a constant joy to Kenneth. Kenneth is also survived by his mother, Lois Breedlove McDonald, and his siblings, Michele Hensley, Marsha Dermont, Kevin McDonald, and their families.
Kenneth was born in England into an Air Force family who knew no strangers. From Louisiana to the Philippines, wherever the McDonalds went, they returned "home" to San Antonio. Ken continued his ancestral wanderlust by accepting unique opportunities. Through EDS, a 1986 trip to Madrid, Spain, solidified it forever as his favorite city. Then the family enjoyed the advantages Cathy's American Airlines Benefits afforded, before following in his grandparents footsteps with 15 months in Venezuela, thanks to EDS. With BMC Software he ventured worldwide, presenting at IDUG, visiting clients, even teaching in Israel. 2019 brought a move to Switzerland with LZ Labs, when, as new grandparents, Papa and MiMi lived their half-Swiss Life, the best of both worlds.
From the first pediatric appointment, Kenneth always showed up. He attended, drove, volunteered and was ever ready and present as Soccer Dad, Swim Dad, Dance Dad, LAX Dad, and Just Dad. With work ethic expected and excellence the aim, he laid the foundation by word, action and example for Ari and Xtina to love the adventure, embrace the joy, appreciate cultural travel and to work hard, play hard, and chill, all in their own time. He was so proud of the exemplary women that they have become.
Kenneth lived with intention, and without regret. He touched our lives with his laughter & humor, with his infectious sense of adventure and play, his kindness, his timekeeping and his competence. He brought levity and brevity to any encounter and was steadfast in his loyalty, integrity and trustworthiness. As a problem solver and a figurative fire-fighter, Ken attacked challenging puzzles (both work and play) with zest and fervor (crosswords always inked). Pragmatic, competitive and yet humble, he was quick to assess and quick to act. His (mostly accurate) analysis of situations ranged from the granularity of the leaf to the 30K view of the forest. Kenneth's choices and actions had impact, and as a reluctant but consistent leader he was trusted and respected, but understood deeply that he was but one small piece of the team effort, respecting the often awe-inspiring strengths of his co-workers, and so appreciated the mentors from whom he learned. As he brought calm or urgency to situations as needed, it is Kenneth's standing (literally) DING meetings which are legendary for their effectiveness. Less effective: keeping Cathy time-aware.
An Irish Catholic descendant of a Bengal Lancer and with a Cherokee lineage tracing to The Trail of Tears, Kenneth took pride in his heritage. From his adored Bloodhound through the plethora of cats, to his GrandDog Aussie, he communed with the animals. Sustained by music and good food and drink from any (often unexpected) source, he enjoyed both educating himself on cuisines and cooking his special favorites, Ribs and Lamb Balls, for others. Natural formations and weather fascinated him and he explored Castles, Caves, Cathedrals, Big Skies,
Beaches and Pubs. Kenneth maintained a wealth of music knowledge and of random trivia, and expressed fondness for cheeky monkeys and bad jokes, MOO! He adhered to the Bill and Ted philosophy "Be Excellent to One Another" and put effort into Hakuna Matata. Kenneth had a penchant for Sci-Fi/Fantasy, which he usually read or watched while multitasking, and appreciated a good supporting argument in a discussion, best made over a beer. Words mattered, and he was judicious in his succinct and pointed choices. He exhibited a bit of schadenfreude in creating a mystery answer with the double entendre. And from a surprisingly young age, when he spoke, people listened, and heard.
Kenneth's presence on this earth blessed and marked us, and his loss spans from shocking to devastating, but as in COCO, he will also be remembered. He is in the Lord's Army now. We will love him forever, for infinity, for eternity.
Please, celebrate Kenneth's life with us: Memorial Service Details: Saturday September 7th, 2024 11:00am Beck Funeral Home 15709 Ranch Rd. 620 Austin, TX 78717
Afterwards, Please Join Family and Friends in the Celebration of Ken's Life Santa Catarina Restaurant : 500 Cypress Creek Rd, Ste. 170 Cedar Park, TX 78613
Memorial Service
Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 11:00 am
Beck Funeral Home-Austin
To view Livestream