KELLIS “K-MAC” WOLF MCDONALD
Kellis “K-Mac” Wolf McDonald, 85 years of age, passed away on Monday, December 30, 2019 in Henderson, Nevada. He fought the good fight against COPD and Dementia. He was born April 10, 1934 to Kellis Wolf and Margaret Ellinore McDonald in Douglas, Arizona.
K-Mac attended grades one through eight at Lorreta Catholic School in Douglas. He graduated from Douglas High School in 1952. While attending high school he was very active in sports, drama, and choir. He was active in leadership roles and was President of his class for three years. Also during this time his accomplishments were: attaining the highest rank in Scouting to Eagle Scout, and being selected for Arizona Boy’s State.
After graduation, he attended Arizona State College (NAU) in Flagstaff and was a member of “Blue Key” National Honor Fraternity. He attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Science, graduating with Honors in 1955.
He was hired by the Needles Unified School District as an Elementary Teacher. His assignment was sixth grade. Shortly thereafter, he moved to a junior high position, and then to high school. He taught upper math, chemistry, physics, computers and astronomy. During the summer months he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, and earned a Master’s Degree in Physical Science in 1963. He attended San Jose State College, participating in the Sequential Summer Institute for mathematics, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, obtaining a Major in Mathematics. He attended San Diego State University for further studies in chemistry and astronomy.
In 1980, he began teaching evening and part-time classes for the following Community Colleges: San Bernardino Valley, Mohave Community, Victor Valley, and Palo Verde.
Kellis held memberships in: B.P.O.Elks Association, Honorary Life Membership in California Parents and Teachers Association, Rotary Club, a member of Needles Unified School District Board of Trustees, with four years as Board President. He was Co-Director of Palo Verde Community College.
In his spare time he has coached most sports offered by the Needles Recreation Department, and coached basketball Lady “Stangs”. However his passions included: teaching tennis, taking long trips riding his motorcycle, playing tennis and golf, enjoying the Colorado River with family and friends; boating, water skiing, having family and friends over for dinner while cooking beef, turkey, and beans in the deep pit BBQ that he built himself, working in his garden tending to all varieties of flowers, builder of cement and rock walls, carpentry (remodeling his home) and traveling with Ann during the summers, towing the fifth wheel from the west coast to the east coast, and traveling through all the northern states.
Family members predeceased are his father, Kellis McDonald; mother, Margaret McDonald; sister, Mary Weber; brother, Paul McDonald; and first grandchild, Mary Kate Olson.
Kellis’ survivors are his wife, Ann Pletcher McDonald; daughters, Marie (Kevin) Andrade, LeAnn (Sean) Olson, Holly (Craig) Burroughs, Mindy (John) Spannuth; sons, Mitch McDonald and Kellis David McDonald; granddaughters, Lexi Baldwin, Erin (Jonny) Beischer, Keira Spannuth; grandsons, Preston (Stephanie) Baldwin, Neal Olson, Samuel Burroughs, Nathaneal Burroughs, Connor Spannuth, Ronan Spannuth, and Declan Spannuth; great-grandson, Jackson Baldwin; and many nieces and nephews, and their children.
Kellis’ Funeral Services will be held Friday, January 24, 2020 at Saint Ann’s Catholic Church, 218 D. St. in Needles, CA. The Rosary at 10:30 am and Mass at 11 am. Interment will follow at Needles Riverview Cemetery, 1101 East Broadway. There will be a Reception at the Needles Elk’s Lodge, 1000 Lily Hill Drive, after the services at 1 pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: NYDEF Needles Youth Development and Education Foundation, P.O. Box 47, Needles, CA 92363, with the notation being: The Scholarship in memory of Kellis “K-Mac” McDonald.
“Well K-Mac, I hope you are resting in peace and not trying to reorganize Heaven! It has been a wonderful, wild, roller coaster ride with you for 43 years. All of us will miss your infectious smile and boisterous laugh. You are the love of my life Kellis, so remember to save a seat for your “Annamine” next to you in Heaven.”