March 30, 1967 - July 21, 2021
McDONALD, James Neil Jr. James was born March 30, 1967 to Jim and Sue McDonald in Westminster, CA. He passed away after a short battle with cancer on July 21, 2021. The family moved to Newport, WA in 1980. He graduated from Newport High School in 1985. He attended WSU before transferring to Gonzaga University where he received both his BS in Electrical Engineering (1992) and an MBA (1993). He met Jana while they were both working as engineering interns at the Spokane County GIS department. They married in August 1993. He worked many years in the electrical/lightning protection industry as an electrical engineer and senior manager. For the last seven years, he was the CEO of SCAFCO Grain Systems. He traveled the world for work where he enjoyed learning about the cultures and history of all the places he visited, but he loved traveling and vacations with his family the most. He enjoyed visiting wineries, any ocean beach, snorkeling, and stopping to see any silos he passed on his travels. Spending time with family and friends was important to James. He also liked science and technology, “fixing” things around the house and his cars. He is survived by his wife Jana; son Riley; daughter Bridget; his parents Jim and Sue McDonald; sister Marlene Cross (Kraig); several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws and many good friends. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 10:30 am, at the Historic Flight Museum, 5829 E Rutter Ave, Spokane, WA. In lieu of flowers, any donations received will be used to support local teachers for STEM resources in their classrooms or please donate to your favorite teacher/school.
