Our remarkable 86 year old father has sadly passed away suddenly in his own home, leaving a space which can never be filled by another human being. He led an amazingly interesting, long life. He lived well, loved us all and left quickly as we each hope to, inevitably.

He is survived by three children. The eldest, Lynn LaGrange, who is married to Rod, resides in Alberta. The middle child, Karen Dutcher … his "marvel" stayed close in Fredericton. Ian MacDonald, his son and youngest, settled in Toronto.

Charles is further survived by six grandchildren. Tyson, Asher and Dalaney (his wife Bee), are in Alberta, while Mandalyn Brûlé (Vince) lives in Saskatchewan. Savannah White (Shaune) is also in Alberta and Chelsy Dutcher (Matthias) is in Fredericton.

"GG'' is the name he was referred to by his great grandchildren. Charly-Doll, his Albertan namesake, is the oldest great grandchild and has five cousins in Saskatchewan: Felicity, Nevaeh, Paxton, Malakai and Oleander. Raymond and Finn are in Fredericton and little Sunni is the newest arrival out west.

This cherished uncle is also survived by his dear niece Debbie Cassidy, of Moncton.

He was predeceased by wonderful parents Gordon and Grace MacDonald as well as siblings Mary, Gordy and Jane Cassidy along with her husband Fred. Also in 2013, Charles lost Patricia, his incredible wife of 46 years.

This compelling man’s life began and ended in Fredericton. After graduating from high school, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy. Being a sailor enabled him to travel extensively as he trained in electronics.

From 1957 to 1963, "Chowder" (the nickname given by his shipmates), served on several vessels including the Loon, the Cornwallis and the Restigouche. During the Cuban missile crisis, he signed on for an extra year. His last ship was the largest aircraft carrier in Canada, the Bonaventure. He participated onboard during the naval blockade around Cuba to stop Russian supply ships.

He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, branch number four and honoured to be a veteran. He became an authority on his father’s extraordinary service in WWI and WWII. He was a studious history buff and thankfully his memory remained a treasure-filled vault to the last moment.

After leaving the navy, during the Cold War, "Chuck" worked four years on the Distant Early Warning line (the DEW Line) in Cambridge Bay, watching for Russian bombers.

His next employment phase would last for 20 years where he enjoyed working for Transport Canada as an electronic technician and radician.

He worked obsessively for years on his family genealogy, without the benefit of quick results from the internet. His effort became a time-consuming, all-consuming labour of love, which resulted in vast volumes of information and documentation, much of which has been donated to the provincial archives.

He was a member of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada and subsequently able to verify being the ninth generation with proven Loyalist ancestors. He also uncovered a rich history of Huguenot roots. His revelations about our ancestors will remain a deep source of pride.

This man had tremendous admiration for the university of New Brunswick and as such, set up the Patricia and Charles MacDonald scholarship in 2011. His donations paid the entire tuition for 30 students over the years.

Gone from this world is a truly fascinating individual. He did pottery, lapidary rock work, macrame and he was even a great cook. He built his own utility dinghy. He remade, rebuilt, and reused everything. He lived to learn all about anything.

He absolutely loved the river he lived on as well as generally, all things outdoors. He had a great passion for birds! Back in the day, he was an avid hunter and enjoyed fishing and gardening. He spent a lot of time doing lumberman work and was a capable Jack-of-all trades. Furthermore, he was quite technologically savvy for an octogenarian. There was very little this enigmatic man could not do.

In accordance with his wishes, he will be interred by his wife Pat, at a later date, with a family-only service in the Fredericton cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Patricia and Charles MacDonald Scholarship Fund at the University of New Brunswick.|

We are proud of our father; we love him and will miss him forever. Rest in peace Dad.