Gerald J. McDonald passed away at Elm Terrace Gardens on January 23rd, at the age of 90, one day short of his 91st birthday.

He and his wife of 63 years Mary (Zaner) McDonald have been residents of Lansdale Borough for 47 years. Born in Roscommon County Ireland, he and his family emigrated to Schenectady, New York, at the age 4.

After graduating from Mount Pleasant High School, he served in the Naval Pacific Fleet in World War II, as an aerographer’s mate. Upon discharge from the Navy, he graduated from Syracuse University with a Business degree.

Formally residents of Syracuse, they relocated to Lansdale in 1967, where he worked for IMS International of Ambler, and then Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

He is survived by wife, Mary, daughters, Kathleen Jones (Wesley) of Muscatine, Iowa, Susan Pitkow (Michael) of Hatfield, Pa., Molly Mills (Richard) of Burbank, Ca., and a son, Dr. John McDonald (Barbara) of Ivyland, Pa. He has four grandchildren, Mathew McDonald (Ashley) of Charleston, SC, Michael McDonald, Jonathan Pitkow and Erin Pitkow. Mr. McDonald is also survived by his two sisters, Ethel Graves of Milwaukee, WI., and Pauline Holbrook of Hornell, New York.

He is preceded in death by a brother, James Eric McDonald of Columbus, Ohio.

Viewing on Saturday, 1/31/15 from 10-11 A.M. with Mass following at St. Stanislaus Church in Lansdale.

Donations may be made in his name to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, 90 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016. – See more at Legacy.