Age 79 of Philadelphia
Passed away peacefully on February 27, 2018. John was the beloved husband of Christina MacDonald (nee DiOrio) for 51 years.
John and Tina traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, including visiting Scotland and Italy, home of his ancestors. They often frequented New York City, where they enjoyed the theater, and their favorite spot, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Born in Worcester, MA; son of Mary and Norman MacDonald. John came to Philadelphia in 1959 to attend Temple University, where he pursued his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Klein College of Media and Communication.
After a brief teaching career in the Philadelphia School System, he returned to Temple’s campus in 1966 as Assistant Director of the Alumni Association. Throughout his career as Director of the Alumni Association and subsequently the Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations and Development, he served under five university presidents and alongside 21 alumni association presidents.
He was a member of the Wachman Society, which recognizes Temple’s most loyal alumni and friends who have made gifts to the university for 25 or more consecutive years. He regularly supported the Owl Club, Tyler School of Art, Klein College and numerous scholarship funds and causes. John received the Lew Klein Alumni in the Media Honor Award in 2004.
The John H. MacDonald Endowed Scholarship was established in 2004, providing funds to Temple students from Massachusetts attending the Klein College of Media and Communication.
Temple professor James W. Hilty describes John as “Friendly and outgoing, he was the personification of Temple alumni. Thoroughly Temple through and through, John earned his degrees from Temple and spent almost all of his professional life working for the university. He was as kind and gentle a person as ever walked on Temple’s campus.”
Interment was private. A celebration of John’s life will be held at a later date to be determined. Contributions in John’s memory can be made to the John H. MacDonald Endowed Scholarship, Temple University, PO Box 827651, Philadelphia, PA 19182-7651.
