William McDonough Jr.
William James (Bill) McDonough Jr., 85, died May 14, 2004, at Hutchinson Good Samaritan Village.
He was born Dec. 14, 1918, in Omaha, Neb. He and his wife June, raised their family in Hutchinson from 1947-1968. They returned to Omaha, Neb., for the next 35 years, until sudden illness forced their return to Hutchinson in February.
While in Hutchinson, he was named Man of the Year in 1957. He was president of the Jaycees, Rotary Club, YMCA board, and USD 308 school board. He was chairman of the junior college board of regents, the Community Chest drive, and secretary of the Reno County Selective Service Commission. He served as president of Zion Lutheran Church Council and Emanuel Lutheran Church Council.
He was a national director of Corrugated Steel Pipe Association and general manager and vice president of Eaton Metal Products.
He introduced legislation to the Kansas Legislature in 1959 to authorize the use of revenue bonds paid by user fees, rather than taxes, to build dormitories and student unions at community colleges in the state.
While serving on the junior college board, he helped dedicate the new Hutchinson Junior College student union and dormitory.
In Omaha, he retired in 1981 as divisional president of Bushhog/Eaton, which had become part of the multi-national conglomerate, Allied.
He continued his service to his church, Kountze Memorial Lutheran, by serving on the church council for more than a decade. He was instrumental in the development of deFreeze Manor, a 51-unit apartment complex for the elderly and served as president of Kountze Memorial Inc. He also was administrator of the manor for 18 years until he chose to become a full-time caregiver when his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Bill served on the board of directors of Immanuel Medical Center and while a member of the long range planning, marketing, and finance committees, helped direct the growth of the medical complex, including the hospital, rehabilitation clinic, alcohol and mental health clinics, and retirement communities of Immanuel Village and Terrace and Immanuel Fontenelle Home.
He traveled extensively for work and pleasure. He and his wife, June, were members of Omaha Friendship Force for 20 years and traveled abroad each of those years. He also enjoyed playing the flute and piccolo and took first place in the Joslyn Art Museum photo contest.
He was preceded in death by a son, Brad, who died of leukemia in 1966, and for whom the brass cross on the south face of Emanuel Lutheran Church is dedicated; and a grandson, Jeff Kirkpatrick.
Survivors include his wife, June; two daughters, Kerrie Lee Kirkpatrick of Peabody and Kathie Rogers of Pretty Prairie; a sister, Jean of Omaha, Neb.; a grandson; and a great-grandson.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Emanuel Lutheran Church, Hutchinson.
His body has been bequeathed to the University of Nebraska Medical School. A memorial fund has been established with Hutchinson Community College.
