Arthur Neil McDonald (Jr) of St. Paul, MN, husband of Diane Lee McDonald (Pearson), died on Friday, May 24, 2019 at the Ramsey County Care Center at the age of 79 after a long courageous battle with dementia. He fought hard and did the best he could until the end.
He was born on December 9, 1939 to Arthur and Marjorie McDonald in Minneapolis, MN. Art grew up in the Minneapolis area with his three siblings, John “Guy”, Miles and Judy, where his father was involved in numerous businesses. Art was a proud graduate of the 1957 class at Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. His family led fascinating lives and were far from a cookie cutter group. This included regular trips to Charlie's Cafe Exceptionale in Minneapolis, Gannon’s in St. Paul and spending time operating the Triangle Bar in Minneapolis with his father and brother Guy. Art was also a proud member of AA and died with 48 years and 7 days of sobriety. Art loved to live and did it well.
In January 1963, Art married Diane Pearson, the love of his life. In their 50 years of marriage they raised four children – Tim, Sean, Liam and Chris. This life story included several chapters including an early start in Greenwich Village NYC in the 1960s in which Art ran several bars. The stories and their circle of friends from this time were fascinating. Art and Diane resettled in the Minneapolis area later in the 1960s ultimately putting down roots in Richfield to raise their boys. In this chapter he was a hockey, baseball and football dad and was extremely proud of each of his sons. He was a huge Minnesota sports fan and was the biggest fan at his son’s (and ultimately grand children’s) events. During this chapter, thanks to his father-in-law Carl Pearson, Art discovered Crane Lake MN and, in 1984, after most of his sons had graduated high school, he relocated to Crane Lake with Diane and Chris. In Crane Lake he loved working in his favorite career as a fishing guide and spending time with his best friend Bill Congdon and others in the community. Art’s heart was Crane Lake.
In his next chapter, Art moved Diane and Chris to the Fargo/Moorhead area where Liam was going to college. While in the Fargo/Moorhead area, Art went back to school earning both a bachelor’s degree in Business and Master’s degree in History from Moorhead State University. Art also ran the VFW in downtown Fargo and, true to his form, turned it into a local hotspot that all likes wanted to visit. In 2000, Art and Diane moved back to the Twin Cities area to be closer to kids and grandkids. In this chapter Art moved with Diane near the Cambridge area where he became very active in Labrador Retrievers. This included conformation show dogs as well as organizing rescues of Labrador Retrievers all over the United States. He was pivotal in saving and improving the lives of numerous dogs. He truly cared and had a special connection with animals of all kinds including his own dogs Lunker, Obie, Teddy, Hootie, Pauly, Teddy, and Ce Ce and granddogs Herbie and Ray Ray.
Art lost the love of his life Diane in 2012 to breast and liver cancer - this started his final chapter. While this chapter included a long decline with a broken heart after losing Diane (he missed her immensely), dementia and many other physical ailments, Art never lost his love for his family. While he couldn’t always show it or communicate want he meant due to his cognitive decline, he loved his family dearly. He was proud of and would have given his life for any of them. He talked about them to everyone he was around. Art also loved the wonderful staff and his friends at the Ramsey County Care Center in Maplewood where he spent his last five months.
Art is survived by his four children; Tim McDonald of Chaska MN, Sean McDonald and his partner Andrea Swantek of Houston, TX, Liam McDonald and his wife Becky of Lakeville, MN and Chris McDonald and his wife Kelli of St. Paul, MN; nine grand-children; Cameron McDonald, Jillian McDonald, Luke McDonald, Gannon McDonald, Kasey McDonald, Nick Klinger, Elena (Laney) McDonald, James McDonald and Sydney McDonald; and good friend Bill Congdon and his wife Deena of Crane Lake, MN.
Art has been reunited in heaven with the love of his life Diane McDonald, mother Marjorie McDonald, father Arthur McDonald Sr., brothers John “Guy” McDonald, Miles McDonald, beloved sister Judy McDonald, Diane’s parents Carl and Clarie Pearson, brother-in-law James Pearson and cherished pets Lunker, Obie, Hootie, Pauly, Teddy and granddogs Herbie, Ray Ray and several more.
The world was a better place with Art in it – he will be missed.
Mass of Christian Burial Friday (6/7) 10:30 AM at ST. PETER’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 6730 Nicollet Ave, Richfield, MN, with visitation one hour prior to Mass.