Obituary of Charles V. McDonald

Charles V. "Chas" McDonald, 62, passed away peacefully surrounded by his beloved wife, Donna, and his family at the Kaplan Family Hospice Center in Newburgh on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Chas was the son of the late Eileen (McKay) McDonald and Joseph W. McDonald born on April 18, 1950 at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie. Chas was a member of the first Pop Warner Football team in Wappingers Falls. Chas was a graduate of St. Mary's in Wappingers Falls and Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie. He attended Oklahoma State and received his Associates degree from Oklahoma A & M. He proudly served in the 156th Field Artillery Battalion New York National Guard, Poughkeepsie NY. Chas married Donna Woods, the love of his life, on October 21, 1972; she survives at home. He is also survived by his brothers: Peter T. of Wappingers Falls and John F. and his wife, Theresa of Sugarland, Texas; his sisters: Eileen Sassmann of Wappingers Falls, Beth Bishop and her husband, Larry of Red Hook, and Peggie McDonald of Rexford; his brother-in-law, Kevin Woods and his wife, Carol of Cleveland, OH; his nieces and nephews: Joe, Molly, and Peter McDonald and his fiancée, Kayla O'Hara, Veronica Bishop, Brandon, Lindsay, and Kate Woods; as well as legions of friends. In addition to his parents, Chas was predeceased by his sister, Theresa, and his brother, USMC Major Joseph W. McDonald, Jr., Missing in Action (MIA) in Vietnam on May 3, 1972. Chas had many talents as evidenced by the varied jobs he held including Police Officer in Beacon, NY and Newark, NJ, Real Estate Agent, as well as General Contractor. He was proud of the fact he graduated first in his class at the Police Academy. Eventually Chas formed CMC Construction, a business that helped numerous local residents to solve problems in their homes. Everyone knew they could call Chas at any hour and especially when they did not know what to do. Chas ensured that Senior Citizens were well served. In addition to his construction expertise, he always had a joke or story to share and he shared the treats in his pocket with any child or pet he encountered. Chas served the Village of Wappingers Falls in many capacities; he was Zoning Administrator, Building Inspector and Village Associate Justice. Chas was most proud of his service as Village Justice and as member of the New York State Magistrates Association. In this capacity Chas was able to use his knowledge of the law and his empathy to blend justice with compassion and to help those who came to his court. He also married many couples, including several of his friends. Chas was extremely proud of his Irish heritage including its history, songs, food and traditions. One of the many manifestations of that was hosting a pre-parade party at his house on the day of the Dutchess County St. Patrick's Day Parade where he proudly served his Corned Beef. He took part in the parade in many different ways over the last 18 years. He was a parade participant as Village Justice and as New Hamburg Yacht Club member, a float constructor and a parade observer. Chas also enjoyed boating, cross word puzzles and traveling with Donna to the sunny beaches in Mexico and the Caribbean. Chas lived life to the fullest and squeezed joy out of every moment. The family would like to thank all those in the medical profession who gave such good care to Chas, especially the staff of Kaplan Family Hospice Residence. Calling hours will be held at Straub, Catalano and Halvey Funeral Home, 55 East Main Street, Wappingers Falls, on Sunday, March 3, 2013 from 2 to 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 4, 2013 at St. Mary's Church on Clinton Street in Wappingers Falls. Interment will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan County, Inc., 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550 and directed to the Kaplan Family Hospice Residence, which provided such a peaceful place for Chas and his family in his last days. For directions to the funeral home or to leave a personal condolence, please visit www.straubcatalanohalvey.com.