John McDonald

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Annemarie Hanlon [send private message]

Descendant of John McDonald I (1736-1811) of Argylshire, Scotland.

Biography

John William McDonald was born 23 Feb 1930^[1][2][3] in Seattle,^[3][4] Washington.^[1][2] He was the son of Darrel W. McDonald^[1][2] and his wife Helen Campbell.^[1][2]

He was named John William McDonald after his paternal grandfather, hence the designation of his name on several records as John W. McDonald Jr. and John W. McDonald II^[2] - even though his father was not called John!

On 15 Apr 1940, ten year old John was the second of three children living with his parents Darrel and Helen McDonald at Beach Drive 6755 in Seattle.^[1] See 1940 Census, below.

John moved to Massachusetts to study for a Bachelor of Science in Marine Architecture from MIT.^[4] He graduated in 1952.^[4]

In the Korean War he was a commissioned officer in the US Navy on the USS Bryce Canyon, a destroyer tender.^[4]

On his return from the war John married Dianne (Shogran) Irwin,^[2][4] a 24 year old divorcee,^[2] on 14 Feb 1954^[2] in Los Angeles,^[2] California. She was the daughter of Ivar Shogran^[2] and Elizabeth Rider.^[2]

He gained his Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering the following year, in 1955.^[4]

John's 33 year career in engineering at Garrett AiResearch spanned projects in Phoenix, Arizona and Torrance, California on technologies such as Solar Power, Gas Turbine Engines and Filtration Systems.^[4]

He moved in 1969 to Palos Verdes, California and lived there for the last 38 years of his life.^[4]

He was widowed on 16 Apr 2008,^[4][5] and survived his wife by only three months. John died 31 Jul 2008^[3][4] in Palos Verdes Estates,^[3] Los Angeles, California. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean^[3] in a ceremony with full military honors in September 2008.^[4]

John and Dianne were survived by both their children, Bruce McDonald of Lafayette, Colorado and Carolyn (McDonald) Price of Redondo Beach, California.^[4]

Census

1940 Federal Census of Seattle, King County, Washington - 15 Apr 1940^[1]
address: Beach Drive 6755

Darrel W. McDonald, 39, born Washington, property manager in real estate

Helen C. McDonald, 37, born Nebraska

Marilan J. McDonald, 12, born Washington

John W. McDonald, 10, born Washington

Helen Dee McDonald, 3, born Washington

notes:

1. education: Darrel and Helen had both completed 4 years of college; Marilan 6th grade and John 3rd grade.
2. Darrel owned his own home, estimated at $ 1,450.
3. Darrel worked 52 weeks in the preceding year and 44 hours in the week of 24-30 Mar 1940.
4. Darrel earnt $ 3,000 in 1939 and also received over $ 350 in other income.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Darrel McDonald household in 1940 federal census of Seattle, King County, Washington, Supervisor's District (SD) 1, Enumeration District (ED) 40-325, sheet 8A, line 28, household 206. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), digital publication T627, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M1-3XY2 : accessed 6 September 2022), Washington > King > Seattle Election Precinct, Seattle, Tract S-1 > 40-325 Seattle Election Precinct, Seattle City (Tract S-1 - part) > image 15 of 38. Accessed 06 Sep 2022.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10} John William McDonald II & Dianne (Shogran) Irwin marriage registration, Los Angeles marriage register, book 3719, page 135. Los Angeles County Courthouse, California. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893H-39C9-5 : 18 August 2022), 005686338 > image 2429 of 3066. Accessed 06 Sep 2022.

   marriage license: no. 1664 issued 08 Feb 1954 in Los Angeles County

   marriage: 14 Feb 1954 in Los Angeles, California

   groom: John William McDonald II

   details: age 23, address 6755 Beach Drive, Seattle, Washington, never married, white, born Washington

   father: Darrel W. McDonald, born Washington

   mother: Helen Campbell, born Nebraska.

   bride: Dianne Shogran Irwin

   details: age 24, address 2624 Mandeville Canyon Road, Los Angeles City, os Angeles County, white, divorced (1 marriage), born New York.

   father: Ivar Shogran, born Kansas

   mother: Elizabeth Rider, born Michigan

   witness: Milo G. Wingue(?) Jr, 5552 Abbott Ave., San Diego, California

   officiated by: Ward D. MCabe, Chaplain MSNR, Presbyterian, 129 St. Joseph, Long Beach, California

   Filed: 16 Feb 1954

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Find A Grave: Memorial #243296606 for John William McDonald II (1930-2008), cremated and ashes scattered (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243296606/). Memorial created and maintained by Annemarie Hanlon. Accessed 06 Sep 2022.

   name: John William McDonald II

   born: 23 Feb 1930 in Seattle, King County, Washington

   died: 31 Jul 2008 in Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County, California

   burial: cremated, ashes scattered at sea in the Pacific Ocean

4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11} John McDonald (1930-2008) obituary on Legacy.com, accessed 06 Sep 2022.

   name: John McDonald

   wife: Dianne

   son: Bruce (Sandy Ecker) McDonald of Lafayette, Colorado

   daughter: Carolyn (Randy) Price of Redondo Beach, California

   sister: Marilyn (McDonald) Moon of Minneapolis, Minnesota

   grandchildren: Adam McDonald, Brittany and Andrew Price

5. ↑ Dianne (Shogran) McDonald obituary on tributearchive.com. Accessed 06 Sep 2022.

See also:

• FamilySearch ID no. 2D6P-Z8L: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/2D6P-Z8L