William McDonald, Jr.

William “Bill” P. McDonald Jr., 74, a good and faithful servant, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 9, 2025, in Naperville, IL. Bill was born in Fort Wayne, IN on October 29, 1950.

He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Purdue School of Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN in 1973 and a Masters of Business Administration in Industrial Engineering from DePaul University in Chicago, IL in 1977. He joined the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) divisional staff at Sargent & Lundy Engineering in Chicago in 1975, designing, installing, and start-up of HVAC systems for numerous nuclear power plants. In 1988, he joined Abbott Laboratories at Abbott Park as a Principal Engineer in their facilities design group, where he became their Technical Support Manager for Abbott’s North Chicago, IL campus. In 1995, he joined Commonwealth Edison (Exelon) at the Zion Nuclear Power Station in Zion, IL as a Senior Technical Staff Engineer. He retired as Manager of Mechanical Engineering for extended power uprates in 2016. He was a registered Professional Engineer; a life member of the American Society of Refrigeration, Heating, and Air Conditioning; and a life member of the Knights of Columbus, council number 13300, St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church, The Villages, FL.

Always a social butterfly, Bill loved to spend his time with friends and family while camping, biking, boating, golfing, and travelling. Never one to sit idle, he freely gave his time to complete a project, dispense advice, and keep you company during the good and hard times. Reliable, loyal, and loving, Bill was a constant source of support and laughter to his family and friends.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 44 years, Diana L. (Fagan) McDonald; two daughters, Anne E. Korponya and Meghan L. (Frank Luo) McDonald; one son, John P. McDonald; three grandchildren Joseph C., Benjamin W., and Hannah L. Korponya; as well as dear friends and extended family.

Preceding him in death were parents William P. and Velma B. (Hilker) McDonald; sisters, Ilene (Charles) Winans and Velma B. (Win) Buchan; and brother Anthony McDonald.

Services are being planned for a future date.

Future inurnment: Fort Wayne Catholic Cemetery, 3500 Lake Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46805, (260) 426-2044.

Arrangements by Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St, Naperville, IL 60540.

For more information, please call (630) 355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com