After 90 years on Earth, Richard J McDonell of Quincy went to heaven on September 19, 2021. Richard (aka Mac), the youngest of seven children, was born in Coggon, Iowa on April 12, 1931, to Joseph and Mary McDonell.
After graduating from Campion Highschool in Wisconsin and Loras College in Iowa, he entered seminary and was ordained as a Catholic priest. He served the Diocese of Dubuque Iowa as a high school science teacher until he met his future wife, JoAnn. Mac and JoAnn were married in 1972 and spent 49 wonderful years together living in Colorado, Iowa, the Wenatchee area, and most recently, Quincy, WA.
Mac was a devoted husband, kind father, and throughout all his work, a Christian teacher. Whether teaching religious education at Holy Apostles, working as a vocational counselor, or helping inmates at the Wenatchee jail earn their GED, Mac brought high expectations, an outlandish sense of humor, and Christian love and charity to his work. Mac was an active member of Holy Apostles, St Josephs, and St Pius X parishes.
He loved swimming, gardening, traveling, and spending time with his best friend JoAnn, his children, and grandchildren.
Mac is survived by his wife JoAnn (Muckler), his children Laura (Andrew) Demetruk, Katie (Andy) Withrow, and Michael (Naomi) McDonell, and grandchildren Lane, Landon, Lily, Ira, Emmett, Savannah, Liam, and Oliver.
A funeral mass will be held on Friday, October 8, at 11 am at St Pius X Church, 805 Central Ave N, Quincy, WA,
with the Holy Rosary recited at 10 am.
Donations in honor of Mac can be made at www.salesianmissions.org
Please visit the online guest book at https://www.scharbachs.com .
Arrangements are by Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel, Quincy,