Gerald Francis McDonald

Gerald, 'Jerry' McDonald went to be with the LORD on December 3, 2015 at IU Saxony Hospital, at the age of 90. He was born May 13, 1925 in Newark, New Jersey, the youngest of five children born to Theresa Yonker McDonald and James Bertram McDonald. He enlisted in the Navy in 1943 following the start of WW2 and went through boot camp where he was honorably discharged due to blindness in one eye. He then finished high school in NJ and was drafted into the army where he served from 1944-1946 in Patton's 6th Army in the European Theater. He married Fern M. McDonald on December 24, 1949 in West Orange, New Jersey. Following their wedding in 1949 they moved to Indianapolis where he finished his Bachelers degree in Industrial Technology at Purdue University. He later received an accounting degree as well. Jerry was a financial analyst for Ford Motor Co. and retired in 1987 following 30 years of service. He and his wife were long time residents of Indianapolis where they lived 38 years in the home the two of them and built together on N. Mitchner Ave.

He and his wife traveled extensively in the U.S. with their two children in their travel trailer and vacationed yearly in NJ and in FL where they had a vacation home built near the east coast. In 1994 they moved to Port St. Lucie, FL full time where they lived for 16 years in the Savannah Club before returning to Indianapolis in 2010. They then resided 5 1/2 years at the Hearth at Windermere Assisted Living where he received assistance from kind and caring individuals. They considered the Hearth their home. In his latter years while back in Indiana his faith grew and he pursued reading the Bible for the first time and getting to know the LORD. He realized how the LORD had blessed him over his long life and grew to have a thirst for reading his bible and a hunger to know the LORD better.

Jerry loved politics, news and current events, watching football on tv, entertaining with his wife of 65 years, Fern, whom preceded him in death by 53 days. He loved to travel always in a travel trailer or in one of his Ford vehicles. In the latter years they enjoyed cruises and their many close friends they developed not only in Indiana but Florida. He would support his wife's love of making gifts and miniature houses by doing wood working for her projects. He had natural talent for building and repairing things so much that the home they lived in for 38 years he built with his own two hands with Fern's help. He demonstrated an endearing love for his wife in her later years while she suffered with Alzheimers and would remark how he loved her more and more every day always commenting on how beautiful she was to him. He demonstrated true love to her.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, four siblings and his wife. He is survived by his daughter, Judy (Steve), and son Dean (Donna). He was proud of and enjoyed his five grandchildren: Brandy Crawford, Kelly Brown (Allen), Tyler Robinson, April McDonald, Austin McDonald, and three great-grandchildren: Colby Crawford, Eden Brown, and Eli Brown. He is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews and a special godson, Robert McDonald of NJ.

Memorial gifts may be given instead of flowers to purchase Bibles for residents of the Indianapolis inner city. Checks may be made out to son, Dean, earmarked in the corner with 'Bibles for needy'. He was an avid bible reader in his later years and these will be given out to children and adult residents of the inner city in conduction with inner city missions.