James T. McDonald

Sep 26, 1929 - Mar 14, 2017

Jim McDonald passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on March 14, 2017 at the age of 87. He was a loving husband and father and an active member of St. John of God parish.

Jim was born in Chicago, Illinois, the third child of Tim and Mary McDonald, who had both emigrated from Ireland to the United States to make better lives for their children. He attended St. Timothy’s Parish Grammar School and Loyola Academy High School. :ith his characteristic courage and determination, Jim aimed high, and attended Loyola University School of Law. He joined the Navy shortly after his admission to the Illinois Bar and was posted to Treasure Island in San Francisco. He served as a defense attorney for three years during the Korean :ar and settled in San Francisco at the end of his service. He joined a law firm where, with his gregarious nature, he made many life-long friendships and eventually became the senior partner. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Defense Council of Northern California and the American Board of Trial Advocates. It was at a Navy dance in Treasure Island that he met the love of his life, Nancy Lumijarvi. He had vowed that he would ask the prettiest girl in the room to dance with him. He did, she accepted, and they married in 1960.

Jim was committed to peace and justice throughout his life. During the 1960’s he served as President of the Catholic Interracial Council and advocated for housing justice for African-Americans in the Bay Area. In 1964 he traveled with a group of attorneys to Mississippi to help register African-Americans to vote. In the 1980’s, Jim was active in the Irish Forum which sought to create peace in Northern Ireland. In the 2000’s, when Jim was in his 70’s, he participated in the AIDS/LifeCycle and bicycled from San Francisco to Los Angeles in support of those affected by HIV/AIDS. He was an active cyclist throughout his retirement and impressed all who knew him with his athleticism and grit.

Jim is preceded in death by his wife Nancy and his siblings Mary Jane Quinn and Tom McDonald. He is survived by his children Tim (Brenda), Amy (Tony), Sarah (Dana), and Rachel, and grandchildren Bryanne, Anthony, and Eve. He will be missed by his sister-inlaw Marge McDonald, his beloved nieces and nephews, and many dear friends in San Francisco, Chicago, and Ireland.

Friends and family are invited to honor Jim’s life in either of two ways. On Saturday March 25th, there is a visitation at River :oods Funeral Chapel, 205 S River Rd, Des Plaines, IL from 10am-12:30 pm, followed by service and burial at 1:30pm at All Saints Cemetery, 700 N River Rd, Des Plaines, IL. On Sunday April 23rd, we will celebrate Jim’s life at the 9:30 Mass at St. John of God Catholic Church, 1290 5th Avenue, San Francisco, CA. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Sierra Club.