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George McDonald Obituary
February 22, 1930 - April 18, 2023
George William "Bill" McDonald passed away peacefully at home on April 18, 2023 comforted by his wife, Carolyn. He was 93 years old.
An avid photographer, Bill was born on February 22, 1930 in Jonesboro, AR and grew up in Oakley, KS. He spent many summers working on his cousin's farm, in which he always took pride. He graduated from Oakley High School and went on to earn a degree in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University.
Upon graduation he joined the Union Pacific Railroad as a land surveyor. That began a long and successful career designing and overseeing the construction and maintenance of the railroad. Bill progressed through the ranks of the Engineering division, being promoted to Division Engineer and then District Engineer in Portland, Salt Lake City, and Kansas City. His final promotion brought him back to Union Pacific headquarters in Omaha where he was appointed Chief of Engineering and Construction.
After retiring from Union Pacific, Bill spent many years as a consultant with HDR on rail projects around the country.
Bill was preceded in death by his brothers, James and Donald. He is survived by Carolyn; his three children: Steve McDonald of Fairfield CA, Reg McDonald of Portland OR, and Bobbi Farrell of Fort Worth, TX; his grandchildren: Colin McDonald, Bryan McDonald, and Clint Farrell; and his great-grandchildren.
SERVICES will be held at 1pm Saturday, April 29th, at St. Luke United Methodist Church, 11810 Burke St., Omaha.
Memorials may be made to the Church or to the charity of one's choice.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for George McDonald
3 Entries
Kelley Patton
April 27, 2023
I'm so sorry for your loss. George was a sweet, kind man. Prayers for strength and grace and love, Kelley Patton
Richard L Ryan
April 23, 2023
Bill and I were members of the same photo club and he was always interested in learning new things. I would pick him up and we would go to the club meetings and had great visit before after the meetings. I had just visited with him, and it was sad to read of his passing.
Sharon Swart Maurath
April 23, 2023
May God's grace and mercies be with you. Thank you for remembering his cousins in Oakley. Bill was 10 years older than I but always a special First cousin once removed.
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