John D. MacDonald Jr., personified 'spirit of Point Lookout,' dies at 94

John D. MacDonald Jr., a World War II veteran, master plumber, local businessman, fire chief and Republican committeeman in Point Lookout, died at home Wednesday surrounded by family.

He was 94.

MacDonald, a Fort Lauderdale snowbird since he retired in 1983 as president of the family plumbing and heating business in Point Lookout, kept his hand in the business as its board chairman.

His father, John D. MacDonald Sr., began John MacDonald Plumbing and Heating in 1929, and John Jr. joined it in 1945 after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Air Corps. His family said he spent most of that military service stationed in India and was a crew member on C-47s flying supplies into China.

"One thing that immediately comes to mind about my father was his strong work ethic, which he sponsored in his children," said his daughter, Kathleen Collins of Point Lookout. "And he was incredibly community-minded."

Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, who lives in Lido Beach and was friendly with the longtime local Republican committeeman, called MacDonald "a character who personified the spirit of Point Lookout."

He went on to say that MacDonald was a leader in the fight to get sewers in the Long Beach Island hamlet.

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"He was terrific. They all knew where he stood on an issue. He was a rugged individualist who loved his community and a good committeeman because the people here loved him," D'Amato said.

A son, James, of Point Lookout, said his father had "a dedication and love for the community where his family and business grew."

He pointed out that his father had been a chief in the local fire department in 1959 and 1960 and had been named a lifetime member.

MacDonald also served as a board director of the Point Lookout Civic Association and headed its zoning committee for 23 years, the family said.

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They said he was a 1960 graduate of the Mechanics Institute in Manhattan and was a member of the Master Plumbers Association and a licensed plumber.

Besides Kathleen Collins and James, he is survived by five other sons: John, Robert, William, all of Point Lookout, and Kevin and Daniel of Long Beach, along with four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

There will be a viewing Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Christopher T. Jordan Funeral Home in Island Park.

A Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Roman Catholic Church in Point Lookout.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorial donations to the Village Gardeners Inc., PO Box 678, Point Lookout, NY 11569.