Quinn Hauser McDonald

Quinn Hauser McDonald died on July 21, 2023 in his home in Charlotte, NC. He was born on September 18, 1971 in Georgia. He spent his childhood moving around the United States and Mexico with his mother, Polly Burns and older sister, Emilie Blythe McDonald in a red VW bus. Later, his younger sister Cassie Goodluck-Johnson joined their family when they were living in New Mexico. He was a precocious kid with beautiful long blonde hair who always had a sense of adventure. He lived in North Carolina (Charlotte and Cullowhee), South Carolina (Camden), Oregon (Rickreall), Mexico (San Miguel de Allende), and New Mexico (Farmington and Albuquerque). He spent the last twenty-plus years of his life in Charlotte.

Quinn went to Rio Grande and Menaul high schools in Albuquerque, New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, received computer technical training at TVI in Albuquerque, and earned a Computer Technology diploma at East Coast Polytechnic Institute in Charlotte in 2004. He was always a whiz with electronics. He was one of the first computer users in the 1980’s and the youngest member of a computer meet-up group. He knew how to take things apart and put them back together. He always held his love of computers and would help friends and family fix their devices. He also had a YouTube Channel, Quinn Tech Retro, in which he would fix vintage computers and accessories. He wrote songs, sang and played keyboards. He sang a mean karaoke. He was the funkiest dancer this side of the Berlin Wall. He had a wicked sense of humor. Sarcasm and wit were prevalent.

Through all the childhood travel, there was always a constant in visiting with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of the family in Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC. In later years, the locations of the yearly get-togethers would change to places such as Albuquerque, NYC, DC, Portland and Monterey, but Christmas was a must and summer vacations were spent in Piney Creek, NC. Quinn worked in the hotel industry for many years, and was most recently working at the Best Western Sterling Hotel in Charlotte where he befriended his fellow workers and clientele.

Quinn had the kindest eyes, very compassionate to all people, not judgy, only judgy of the judgy. He was loyal, thoughtful, caring, generous, funny, resourceful, and could always be counted on to be honest. Even when he had little resources to draw upon, he went out of his way to help family and friends, and spent money he didn’t have to make sure his niece had gifts on Christmases and birthdays. He also helped struggling and homeless people in any way he could. He had many friendships that he treasured and that endured for decades. He was a dearly loved and irreplaceable son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. His light, love and laughter will be missed profoundly.

Quinn is survived by his mother, Polly Burns; his sisters, Emilie Blythe McDonald and Cassandra Viola Goodluck-Johnson; his brothers-in-law, Bruce Smolanoff and Nate Goodluck-Johnson; his niece, Miranda Smolanoff; and yet-to-be-born niece or nephew of the Goodluck-Johnsons; and his aunts and uncles, Harriet “Hattie” Burns, Kathy Burns, Woody and Catharine Burns, Joe and Irene Burns, Linda and Milton Hodge, Bob Baston; and oodles of cousins and friends.

He was predeceased by his grandparents, Grandma Ha-Ha and Granddaddy Slim (Emilie Estelle and Francis Dudley “Slim” McDonald); Grandma Teeny and Granddaddy Wood (Ethel “Teeny” Burns and Woodrow Burns); his father, Francis Dudley McDonald Jr.; aunt, Jacquelin “Jackie” McDonald; and his partner and friend, Eliana Solarte Patiño. Quinn often mentioned that he had guardian angels looking after him. Now they have brought him safely into God’s loving care.

His service will be held in September in Charlotte. If you would like to attend, please email emilie@emiliemcdonald.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hope Valley at https://hopevalleytreatment.org/, Hope Vibes at https://www.hopevibes.org/, or Block Love Charlotte at https://blockloveclt.org/