Boyd Rawlings McDonald

Obituary

Boyd R. McDonald, 102 years old, passed away peacefully after a short illness. He was born in Denver, Colorado, to Esther C. (Kindblade) and Harry B. McDonald, Sr. Boyd was raised in Denver and graduated from the University of Colorado in 1942. He worked at Bell Labs in New York City, and served stateside in the Army Signal Corps during WWII. Following his marriage in 1947 to D. Louise Lager, they moved to Southern California where he worked for Hughes Aircraft and Lockheed, then moved with his family to Santa Clara County in 1958, where he lived for the rest of his life.Boyd traveled frequently across the US and to Great Britain for work and visiting family and friends, and after retiring he continued to journey around the world. He was also an “untraditional” bolo tie enthusiast, having fashioned well over 140 bolos primarily out of various souvenirs and curios acquired in his travels. In his retirement, Boyd was an avid cribbage player and member of the American Cribbage Congress. He was the Director of Grass Roots Club 48 in in San Jose for 25 years and was active within the ACC until he was 101. Boyd is survived by his daughter, Linnea McDonald, his grandson Tom Wiederrecht, and great-grandaughter, Mae Wiederrecht, along with numerous beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, his elder brother, his wife Louise, and many dear family members and friends.Boyd will be remembered by everyone for the joy he took in living a good and generous life, but perhaps most of all for his story telling. We all knew he wouldn’t stop until you heard the whole story. A Celebration of Life will be held on February 24 from 3-5 p.m. at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave, Mountain View, CA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local food bank or the American Red Cross.