Jon J McDonald, 68, longtime resident of Montesano and former contractor and business owner passed away on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at Summit Pacific Medical Center in Elma, Washington from acute kidney failure.
Jon was born on Jan. 3, 1955, to R.D. McDonald and Clarice McDonald in Port Angeles, Washington. Jon was raised in the Neilton area and graduated from Quinault High School in 1973.
He spent many of his teenage days riding his motorcycle through the logging roads with his childhood friends. His best friend Les Miller was usually with him in these adventures. Also, as a teenager, he raced his 90 Motocross motorcycle winning many trophies.
He worked at his Dad’s cedar mill, R.D. McDonald Cedar Products, packing shakes and cutting shake blocks eventually managing the mill. After a short time of driving a log truck for his dad, he decided to buy his first log truck and start his own business. He drove log truck for over 23 years.
Jon married his wife, Judy, in 1979 and soon after built their first home in Neilton, Washington where they began their family. Jon loved to work, he was very skilled and enjoyed helping people when he could. In 1995, he built their second family home in Montesano. He enjoyed building homes so much that he sold his log trucks and opened “Jon J McDonald” General Contracting, where he built 28 homes over the next 20 years in the Montesano area.
He was an avid water skier. Mastering the slalom ski, trick skis and also barefooting. He taught all his wife’s family and many nieces and nephews to water ski, Any chance he had, Jon would be out on the water often recruiting co-workers, their children or the neighborhood children and teaching them how to water ski.
He is survived by his wife Judy (Eastman) McDonald, daughter Abra (David) Peterson, and son Tyler (Jennifer) McDonald and five grandchildren; as well as his mother Clarice (Birkenfeld) McDonald; sister Linda (Jerry) Charlton; and brother-in-law Kevin (Joan) Heide. He was preceded in death by his father Russell D. McDonald and two sisters Joan Heide and Nancy McDonald.
A memorial will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 1 p.m. located in the chapel of Fern Hill Funeral Home with a reception to follow in the Dorothy Mann Reception Hall of Fern Hill Funeral Home. If you wish to leave a memory or note of condolence for the family, please visit www.fernhillfuneral.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, Washington.
