Alex McDonald

79. An active and well-respected member of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate

District, Division One, Justice McDonald served the judiciary for the past 21 years. He was

married to his wife Judy for 56 years, and together they have four daughters, Katy, Ann, Margie

and Liz, three sons-in-laws, as well as seven grandchildren. The McDonalds have been longstanding

residents of Kensington, living in their family home for 46 years.

Alex was the founding partner of the law firm formerly known as McDonald, Hecht and

Solberg. Considered by those at the firm as an example of what is good in the legal profession,

Alex practiced law for more than 30 years before he was appointed to the Appellate Court. He

specialized in real estate law and was instrumental in notable real estate projects in San Diego,

including the Meridian condominiums downtown, anchor buildings in the Golden Triangle, and

the development of Rancho Bernardo.

As an Appellate Justice, Alex was known among his colleagues for his deep intellect, willingness

to learn new areas of the law, and great sense of humor. He authored many important opinions

and was equally proud of his dissents.

Born in Butte, Montana, Alex graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in

Industrial Engineering via Salt Lake City where he attended high school and developed his love

of skiing. He earned his Bachelor of Laws (Order of the Coif and Law Review Editor) at the

University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley. Following law school, he studied

Indian Constitutional Law at the University of Bombay, India and was a law clerk for California

Supreme Court Justice Raymond E. Peters. Forty years after his graduation from Boalt Hall, Alex

received his Master of Laws from the University of Virginia, School of Law, rekindling his

interest in constitutional law.

Among his community service activities, Alex was proud of his relationship with the downtown

Lions Club, where he served in multiple roles, including president. As one of the founding board

members of the Lions Community Service Corporation, Alex was fundamental to the creation of

the Lions Community Manor, which provides housing to San Diego’s low income, elderly and

disabled citizens. After several years of planning, fundraising and lobbying, Lions Community

Manor opened in 1981, to limited public acknowledgment. Since opening, the Manor has

provided housing and shelter for many, and the wait list for its 129 units presently is more than

four years long. More recently, Alex and Judy have enjoyed together the quality and depth of

theater and music in San Diego and are regular attendees and supporters.

A life-long student, Alex subscribed to and read four daily newspapers, and on a Saturday

afternoon one might find him on the couch studying string theory, the lives of the Founding

Fathers, or the nuances of space. He shared his infectious love of learning with his children and

grandchildren, and encouraged them to know themselves as a small but potentially impactful

part of a large and increasingly complicated world.

Family, co-workers and friends will remember Alex for his warmth, wit, reliability, work ethic,

and for his range. He was as precise as an editor as he was confounded about what humanity

has yet to learn.

A celebration of Alex’s life will be held on Monday, October 3 at 5:30 pm at the Daniel J. and

Phyllis Epstein Lower Lobby of the Jacobs Music Center, located at 750 B Street, San Diego, CA.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that you consider a memorial contribution to one of the

following regional theaters:

ion theatre

www.iontheatre.com

3708 6th Avenue

San Diego, CA 92103

Cygnet Theatre

www.cygnettheatre.com

4040 Twiggs St

San Diego, CA 92110

San Diego Repertory Theatre

www.sdrep.org

79 Horton Plaza

San Diego, CA 92101

Old Globe Theatre

www.theoldglobe.org

P.O. Box 122171

San Diego, CA 92112-2171

La Jolla Playhouse

www.lajollaplayhouse.org

P.O. Box 12039

La Jolla, CA 92039