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<font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><em>Alexander Ronald "Skip"Macdonald</em><strong><em>,</em></strong> was born the fourth child of an Army family, to MG John Macdonald and his elegant wife, Alice. His Scottish heritage was very important to him, as well as Army life and traditions. Skip considered becoming a Catholic priest early in his life but instead chose the Army, which he dearly loved. He and his wife, Martha Leilani Hinds, "Marty," courted for two weeks. He then left for an assignment in Germany, and they decided to marry, which they did three months later after overcoming the fear that they might not recognize each other at the train station. And they lived mostly happily ever after for 47 years.</font></font></font></p>
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<font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1">They were blessed with four children: John ’79, now a major general, married to BG Anne Macdonald ’80, (Retired), Gina, Victoria, and James. Skip’s assignments included a tank battalion in Germany, where they lived both in Hanau and Aschaffenburg. Skip became quite an artist in oil painting and returned to the states with a big green Mercedes and son John. The next few years were with the 101st Airborne school, and then study in California at the Naval Post Graduate School, where they adopted a lovely little girl, Gina. While Skip was in Korea, stationed on the DMZ, he returned for the birth of his daughter Victoria during the weekend of President Kennedy’s assassination. Skip’s master's degree was in Nuclear Effects Engineering, which led them to Washington, DC, and work on the Naval nuclear project in Bethesda, MD. Skip began his long-term delight of coaching his sons and grandson in baseball, basketball and football...all being devoted athletes.</font></font></font></p>
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<font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1">A big change in their lives came when Skip was assigned to the Air Force Academy, where he taught Physics, coached lacrosse, and the family became skiers, buying a cabin in Breckenridge, CO, right after son James was born. Winters of skiing and summers of fishing and enjoying the mountains became a life-time focus of all the family and their friends and a gathering place for enjoying many celebrations and family vacations, which continue to this day. Suffering a back injury during a lacrosse game at West Point, he was further seriously injured on the ski slopes, spent six weeks in the hospital, and went to Vietnam, unable to bend over and tie his shoelaces. After an assignment in Washington, DC, Skip served as the DATT and Army Attache in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Marty and Skip referred to this period in their lives as the only time they were rich and famous...representing our country in a foreign land is quite an honor. During that time, a war between Argentina and Chile was averted due to information collected by the Attache Office. Skip and Marty also helped start a home and school for physically and mentally dysfunctional children. Their last assignment was at the Presidio of San Francisco, Skip working with Reserve units in the western section of the country, and all the family enjoying the great city.</font></font></font></p>
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<font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1">An important part of the Macdonalds’ life was centered on James, who became seriously diabetic at the age of ten. After many problems and almost losing his eyesight, James received a kidney/pancreas transplant when he was 30. Happily, he is well, married and works as a nurse in Colorado. Gina is a social worker, and Tory is a businesswoman. Skip and Marty have three grandchildren, Clay, Ashley and Cierra, and a great-grandchild, Stevie Lynne.</font></font></font></p>
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<font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1">Skip and Marty retired to Kaneohe, HI, where Skip worked for an alternative energy company, focused on the Pacific. The company disbanded after two years, and the family settled in San Antonio, TX, where Skip taught physics at the university level. Both were deeply involved in Bible Study Fellowship, which is an eight-year series of in-depth of study the Bible. Both were in leadership positions, which led them to Tanzania, Africa, for two years of teaching the Scriptures, running a small business, and having many adventures—like having their compound attacked by angry spear and rock-throwing natives. Skip later went to teach the only Bible class in Hong Kong, where his dentist discovered a serious condition. He returned to the states to face a long three-year battle with mouth and lung cancer, which ended at Thanksgiving in 2003.</font></font></font></p>
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<font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1"><font color="#1a171c" face="Book Antiqua" size="1">Skip was gifted with great intelligence, a dedicated work ethic, and, above all, loyalty to the Army and his family. He had a wit and sense of humor that was hysterically funny. A man who charmed the ladies and made his children’s lives delightful, his most overwhelming trait was his faith in God. As he grew weaker during his fight with cancer, he grew stronger in his faith. Skip became an example for the men in our church and community that they still speak of as inspirational. No doubt he marched into the Presence of God with all flags flying.</font></font></font></p>
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