Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Major Harold Leonard "Mac" McDonald of Worland passed away on 17 September 2018. Mac was the son of Birdena (nee Pettigrew) and Frank McDonald of Washington, Indiana. Mac is survived by both his sister Rita Sypitkowski and his brother Kenneth McDonald and niece Cynthia, and survived by his wife Hildegarde, daughter Debbie, sons David, Kenny, Brian, Kevin and Keith, and seventeen grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Mac was born in Montgomery, Indiana on 21 June 1938 where he grew up as the typical American farm boy. He loved to hunt and fish and smoke out groundhogs. He attended Washington Catholic High School and was a varsity basketball athlete on their team. Graduating in 1955, Mac entered the Army as an Infantry soldier later that year. Mac received his commission to Second Lieutenant at Fort Benning, Georgia from Officer Candidate School in 1960 and served three separate combat tours in Vietnam. He absolutely loved the Army and made it a career. Some of his fondest memories were of his time in the Army and raising a family of six children. As an Army officer, he was superb and was selected below the zone to Major; however, facing a difficult Army move which would affect his family, he decided to retire in 1975 after a full career. He headed West with his family to Worland, Wyoming to start a new life and career. He embraced the western life and continued to fish, hunt, camp and ride horses in his beloved mountains of Wyoming. He served as Manager of the Worland Chamber of Congress for several years. He also tackled oil field work with Dowell before moving to the Wyoming State Unemployment Office where he served his community as an unemployment claims specialist. He retired from Wyoming State service in 1995. He was an active member in the American Legion Post #44, the Elks Club and St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church.
His military decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Funeral services with full military honors will be held at St Mary Magdalen Catholic Church 11:00 a.m., 28 September 2018. Online condolences may be made at http://www.bryantfuneralhomeonline.com.