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Portrait of Robert Leland McDonald
VETERAN
In loving memory of

Robert Leland McDonald

Dr.
June 16, 1930 – August 14, 2023
Lived 93 years
Brecksville Cemetary · Brecksville, Ohio
In service to country

Thank you for your service

Robert served in the armed forces. We honor that service here.

Life story

Loving father of Marcey McDonald (Eric Whyard), Stacey Murray, and Manuel (Janice). Dear grandfather of Alexandra (Nick), Meghan, Adam (Maddie), Niko, Melissa, Markos, Fallon, and Milania. Great grandfather of Olivia, Calvin, Mckenzie, and Heidi. Son of the both late Leland and Rose. Brother of the late Betty. Loving uncle to many. U.S. Army Veteran.

Bob was a lifelong OSU fan having attended The Ohio State University from 1948 – 1956 where he earned his bachelors and his DDS degrees. He entered the Army, and was stationed at Fort Hood for 2 years after graduation.

He practiced dentistry in Parma, Ohio for over 50 years. He chose his profession well and never worked a day in his life. He loved his patients, often treating many generations of families – and he enjoyed being a small part of their lives – and looked forward to catching up at every visit.

That humor!….you had to catch before it went over your head. He was a story master who could web fact and fiction into a beautiful mastery and if you weren’t paying close enough attention, you’d miss it. And at times– you could even catch him laughing at his own personal joke. He was kind and focused on the strengths and the good in the people he knew and loved. He was a single dad for a few years – before that was a common thing. His kids came first. As a father he was involved with his children, counseling, guiding, but giving them the freedom to form opinions, make decisions, and fail. Then an encouraging conversation to help find the right path. He has always been a guiding presence in the lives of his grandkids. He loved being able to watch his grandchildren in their sporting events, dance recitals and award ceremonies. One of the last things he said was “all he wanted to do was talk to his kids”. He was one of the “good ones” and he will be missed greatly.

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Robert’s life, in a printed book

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The world Robert knew

Family milestones in gold, history for context

1930
Born June 16
1939
Robert was 9 when "The Wizard of Oz" opened in theaters
1947
Robert was 17 when Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier
1951
Robert was 21 when "I Love Lucy" debuted on CBS
1962
Robert was 32 when the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war
1976
Robert was 46 when America celebrated its Bicentennial
1982
Robert was 52 when Michael Jackson released "Thriller"
1991
Robert was 61 when the Soviet Union dissolved
2007
Robert was 77 when Netflix began streaming movies online
2017
Robert was 87 when "Fortnite" became a video game phenomenon
2022
Robert was 92 when ChatGPT was released to the public
2023
Passed away August 14, age 93
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Stacey Murray 149w

The Dash Poem (By Linda Ellis)

I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend He referred to the dates on the tombstone From the beginning...to the end He noted that first came the date of birth And spoke the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years For that dash represents all the time That they spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved them Know what that little line is worth For it matters not, how much we own, The cars...the house...the cash. What matters is how we live and love And how we spend our dash. So, think about this long and hard. Are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left That can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough To consider what's true and real And always try to understand The way other people feel. And be less quick to anger And show appreciation more And love the people in our lives Like we've never loved before. If we treat each other with respect And more often wear a smile, Remembering this special dash Might only last a little while So, when your eulogy is being read With your life's actions to rehash... Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent YOUR dash?

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