John Alexander MacDonald Jr. ’45

John Alexander MacDonald Jr. ’45 died on November 25, 2013, after a long decline from Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. John grew up in Waban, Massachusetts, graduating from Newton High School, followed by a year at Hebron Academy. He then attended Dartmouth, but left after his freshman year to spend three years in the Navy during World War II. He served on the destroyer USS Nelson and made numerous trans-Atlantic voyages protecting convoys heading to England and Scotland. His ship was torpedoed with much loss of life but was repaired and went back into action, including the D-day operation. After discharge from the Navy he returned to graduate from Dartmouth, spent a term at Oxford in England, then received his M.B.A. from Tuck Business School. He began his career in banking then moved into the textile industry, eventually doing management consulting before moving to Maine for a job as division manager of Forster Manufacturing. After a short time there, he purchased the Yarmouth Boat Yard, fulfilling a lifelong desire to own a small boatyard. During these two decades he served as president of Maine Marine Trades Association and New England Marine Trades. John had a passion for boats and anything to do with the sea. Countless vacations were spent on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. John is survived by his wife of 53 years, Judith; son Dougald and his wife, Christine; son Ian and his wife, Lori; daughter Melissa; and grandchildren Abbey and Lydia.