Daniel Joseph McDonald

Daniel Joseph McDonald, of Manahawkin, NJ, died on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at Southern Ocean Medical Center, Manahawkin, NJ.

A loving husband and father, Dan was born on November 17, 1940, in the Bronx, NY.  He relocated to Nova Scotia for some time before moving back to Brooklyn where he resided through his youth and teenage years.  He was accepted into the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School where he studied mathematics, engineering, and technology until he graduated in 1958.

Upon graduation, Dan enlisted into the United States Army and served with honor as a Medic while stationed in Germany.  Upon his return, he treated himself to his dream car, a mint green 1968 Corvette Stingray.  He raced this car at the Englishtown Drag Races as an amateur and even won a trophy.

Dan then began working in the Power Plant at Delco Remy in New Brunswick, NJ.  His outstanding work ethic and creative thinking allowed him to ascend through the ranks at the plant until he became a Maintenance Supervisor.  He remained in this successful supervisory position until his retirement in 1991.  It was there where he met his loving wife Alice, and they wed in 1994.

Being an avid fan of travel, Dan and Alice took many trips both across America and around the world.  They visited all 50 states and collected magnets from each trip that adorned their kitchen.  They visited many countries overseas including Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain, and many other historic and exotic locations.

Dan was an aviation fanatic who not only loved globetrotting on all the major airlines and was an enthusiastic attendee of air shows and other similar themed events.  He also loved trains and would visit various railway stations and locales to watch and photograph the grand machines as they thundered by.

Dan was a lifelong New York Mets and New York Giants fan and religiously watched their games with unbridled excitement, reveling in their victories.  He knew all the players and stats and could rattle off sports trivia with the ease of a seasoned sportscaster.

Dan was an exceptional craftsman and tackled many carpentry projects throughout his lifetime.  He was always in his workshop building something and had a knack for creative construction.  His skills as a carpenter were only matched by his skills repairing cars and other types of machinery.  His mechanical intuition was amazing, and he always had a project going somewhere that he knew he could accomplish.

If you were one of the people fortunate enough to meet him, you know Dan loved to laugh and had a wicked sense of humor.  He always had a joke ready to go and instantly put everyone he met at ease with his sharp wit and kind words.  He never failed to make those around him smile or laugh out loud, and he brought joy everywhere he went.  He was endlessly dependable, always the first to lend a hand, and the last to stay when needed.

Above all else, Dan will be remembered for his profound love of his family.  Whether it be the adventures he took with his adoring wife Alice, or the immense pride he took with his close relationships with his kids, or the way he gushed about his Grandkids…that will be the legacy he is most proud of. He took the time, he made the Dad jokes, he made an impact and he always, with great frequency, told his family how much he loved them.

Surviving are his loving wife, Alice Czako McDonald; a son, Scott McDonald and his wife, Jenny; four daughters, Susan Keeth and her husband, Tom, Allison DiGiovanni and her husband, Nick, Leslie Eberle and her longtime partner, Richie, and Jennifer Toth and her husband, Eric; eight grandchildren, Joseph, Lauren, Austin, Hunter, Brody, Brielle, Lacey, and Aidan; several extended family members; and many dear friends.

Arrangements will be private and under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

You are encouraged to visit Dan’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

Memorial contributions in his honor may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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