James Hoyt Macdonald, 81, passed peacefully and painlessly into the next life on Monday, September 1, 2025 in Orlando, Florida, after suffering from several debilitating strokes. He is preceded in death by his parents, Mel and Shirley; his older brother, Ken; his brother-in-law Norman Fox (Sheryl), and sister-in-laws Joan (Ken) and Carol (John), and the second of his three daughters, Tami Calder (Brian). Jim is survived by his older brother, Robert (Carolyn); his younger brother, John; his youngest sibling, his sister, Sheryl Fox; two of his three daughters: Kimberly (Jonathan) of Kissimmee, FL and Shirlee of West Covina, CA; five grandchildren, eight nieces and nephews, and many extended family members and friends.
Jim was born on Tuesday, November 9, 1943, in Tacoma, Washington to Wallace Melville “Mel” Macdonald (9/10/1915-2/22/1985) and Shirley Eleanor (Hoyt) Macdonald (4/21/1916-6/11/2009). As a young person in a household with four sons and one daughter, certain interests and values were solidified early on. The family’s experience living in Alaska while their father worked as a conductor on the Alaskan Railroad endeared to him that rugged wilderness and gave him a fondness for trains. His mother and grandfather were his heroes of great faith and charity who loved him. They inspired and influenced him to know and love Jesus. In school, Jim experienced what a difference a good teacher can make, which led to a lifelong desire to teach and be an encouragement to struggling students. From a young age, he took advantage of opportunities to make his own money, and he looked upon work as a purpose for living, not just a means to an end. Being part of a large, close-knit family instilled in him the value of spending time with relatives.
James worked many jobs that he found rewarding. After receiving the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal, Jim received his honorable discharge from the army, into which he was drafted during the Vietnam War. He served as a medic, as he was a conscientious objector. From there he pursued his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Education from Seattle Pacific (College) University.
His first teaching job was at an elementary school where he was selected as an Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America for 1974. To better support his growing family, he started a successful, but less fulfilling cable television business, which he eventually sold. Jim got his real estate license, owned rental properties throughout his life, and functioned as the general contractor when he eventually built a family home on five acres of property near railroad tracks in Lewis County. Participation in prison ministries was parlayed into teaching anger management and GED classes at local county jails. Along with his good friend, Kirk Hoff, Jim worked as a certified mediator. Tutoring students led to building a schoolhouse on that five acres in Lewis County, and that led to a unique position in cooperation with a local public school in which Jim oversaw the education of homeschooled and at risk students who would meet with Jim once a week and receive credit for their schoolwork through the public school. Once that opportunity ran its course, Mr. Macdonald started his own online Christian school for homeschoolers, which he called Onward Christian Academy, with contributions and input from his beloved brother-in-law, Norman. This work he continued until the strokes took his ability and soon after, his life.
Faith to Jim was of utmost importance throughout his entire life. The great-grandson of Methodist missionaries in China, Jim went to Baptist churches with his mother, growing up, until the family found and were baptized into the non-denominational Church of Christ. Kissimmee Christian Church, in Florida—where Jim had his last great adventure, was his home church for the last three years of his life. From this steady faith came great generosity of time and money. Jim donated money to many, many missionary projects, church programs, and individuals in need, over the long span of his life. In the last three years alone, he sponsored children at the Hippo Valley Christian Mission, donated tuition, books and materials, and Bibles to Advanced Center for Ministry Training, and supported Kissimmee Christian Academy with money, Bibles, and materials, to name a few of his acts of generosity. He poured his heart and time into his students at Onward Christian Academy, charging very low tuition rates and offering “scholarships” which were really just him giving free schooling to those in need. However, no one benefited more from his creative and supportive generosity than his own children and grandchildren. He was always there when they needed him and often gave, “just because,” but the greatest gift he gave them was knowledge of and love for Jesus Christ. He blessed many with his time, encouraging words and scripture verses, attention, and gifts.
Jim will be remembered for these aforementioned characteristics and achievements and also for having a prankster’s sense of humor, for his catchphrases like “blessings galore and so much more,” and “I’m doing better than I deserve,” for his patriotism, for being a dreamer—always thinking up new projects, for his tireless ability to communicate—whether in text messages regularly sent, keeping a conversation going, or asking creative questions, and his love and interest in live theater, sports, gardening, music, and eating onions. There will never be anyone like Jim, again. He will be loved and missed until we meet in heaven.
