McDonald, Robert H.

Robert H McDonald (September 6, 1930 – November 26, 2023) Bob McDonald passed away on November 26, 2023. He was born on September 6, 1930, to George Blake McDonald, Sr, and Margaret Robertson McDonald and grew up on the family farm where he was born in Kimballton, Virginia.

After graduating Pembroke High School, Bob attended National Business College where he received a degree in accounting and then served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. After the war, Bob went on to earn a degree in Business Administration from Virginia Tech in 1957. He remained an avid Hokie fan to the very end.

Bob was hired by the General Electric Company after college and spent his entire career there. He worked as a Finance Manager for 34 years, and having taken an early retirement in 1990, looked forward to being able to say (in 2024) that he was retired as long as he worked. General Electric transferred Bob and his family around the country to Long Island, NY, Arkansas City, KS, and finally, Cincinnati, OH, where he and Shirley spent 32 years before moving back to Virginia in 2010.

Bob loved the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing, golfing, biking and gardening. His homegrown tomatoes were a neighborhood favorite in Cincinnati. Recent vacations were often spent near national parks where the family could enjoy the wildlife and scenery. After retirement, Bob loved traveling back to Kansas annually to help his friends with the wheat harvest. He was also a member of Central United Methodist Church in Salem, Virginia.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings: his sister Lillian McDonald and brother G.B. McDonald, Jr., and his sister-in-law, Mary Doug McDonald. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 62 years, Shirley Adele Garst McDonald, and his devoted daughters Diane McDonald of Boulder, Colorado, and Brenda McDonald of Roanoke, Virginia.

Extended family was important to Bob. He is also preceded in death by his niece Martha Lynn Moretz. He is survived by Martha’s husband Perry Moretz, their daughter Erin Hachwi and her family, and their son Bryan; his niece Becky Frame and her husband Bub and their daughter Sarah; and grandson Nathan Smith. Special mention must be made of Shirley’s family as well, because the two sides of the family had an uncommonly close relationship: his sister-in-law Wanda Garst Atkins (preceded in death by her husband Earl), niece Karen, nephews Gary and Mike, and their families and the late Don Garst and his family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Big Stoney UMC (the small country church in Kimballton, VA, where Bob grew up) c/o Donna Altizer, 3993 Graveley Hill Road, Ripplemead, VA, 24150; or to K9sForWarriors.org (an organization that matches veterans with PTSD with shelter dogs).

Funeral Services honoring Bob’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2023, at Central United Methodist Church in Salem, Va., with Pastors John Thompson and Bryan Buckles officiating. All are welcome to join the family for Bob’s graveside service at 2 p.m. in Birchlawn Burial Park in Pearisburg, Va. Family will lovingly receive friends at Oakey’s North Chapel on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m.