Charles Paul McDonald Jr.

CHARLES PAUL MCDONALD JR., 86, a United Methodist minister in Arkansas for six decades, died Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, at Fox Ridge Senior Living Center in North Little Rock. Born May 29, 1926, in Fort Smith, he earned a bachelor's degree from Hendrix College in 1946 and a master's of divinity from Southern Methodist University in 1949. In 1972, he received an honorary doctorate from Hendrix College. As a United Methodist minister, he served 10 churches in Arkansas, including congregations in Holly Grove (1949-52), Ozark (1952-58), Pocahontas (1958-61), DeWitt (1961-65), Rogers (1965-1971), Searcy (1976-79), West Memphis (1979-84 and 1991-92), Conway (1989-91 and 1992-95), Cave City and Bear Creek (2008), and Jacksonville (2008-09). He also served as district superintendent in Fort Smith (1971-76) and Fayetteville (1984-90), and as interim pastor at First United Methodist Church in Las Vegas, N.M. (2004-06). He was active in Methodism at all levels. His service to the church included memberships on the North Arkansas Conference's boards of Social Concerns, Missions and Ministry; delegate to both the South Central Jurisdictional and General conferences several times; and trustee for Hendrix College for five years. He is preceded in death by his father, Charles Plato McDonald, and mother Evangel Galloway McDonald, and a foster son, David Driver. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Lois Lee King McDonald; two sisters, Mary Price of Fort Worth, Texas, and Betty Lilly of Tulsa, Okla.; six sons, David McDonald of Little Rock, Ron McDonald of Memphis, Don McDonald of Memphis, Tom McDonald of Las Vegas, N.M., Jim McDonald of Mountain Home, and Mark McDonald of Jacksonville; 20 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Conway's First United Methodist Church; the body is being donated to science. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Conway's First United Methodist Church, Jacksonville United Methodist Church, or a charity of your choice.