Kenneth D. "Ken" McDonald, 74, of Rural Retreat died Monday, May 22, 2006, after a courageous battle with cancer.
A memorial service will be held Friday, May 26, at 11:30 a.m. at Rural Retreat United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Brian Burch. A visitation period will begin at 11 a.m.
A native of Ohio, he was a retired missions planner with NASA, having worked on most of the Apollo missions to the moon as well as earlier space flights. He was an avid golfer and member of the Wytheville Golf Club. He also loved gardening, especially growing tomatoes. He will be missed by all who knew him.
He was preceded in death by a son Rodney McDonald; his parents, Roy and Doris McDonald, and two brothers, Wendell McDonald and Nelson McDonald.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Horne McDonald of Rural Retreat; two sons, David McDonald and Craig McDonald; a daughter Cindy, all of Florida; a brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Jeannie of Ohio; five grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; three sisters-in-law, Margaret Thomas of Speedwell, Maude Cox of Wytheville and May Dodson of Olney, Md; a brother-in-law, Marty Horne and his wife, Frieda, of Roanoke; and special friends Bob and Sue Ayers of Wytheville and Sylvia and Bob Ferrance of Rural Retreat.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Rural Retreat Rescue Squad.