James E. McDonnell
James E. McDonnell of Columbia died Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at South Hampton Place. He was 90.
Mr. McDonnell was born Feb. 17, 1918, in Columbia to Roy and Julia McDonnell. His family descended from emigrants from County Cork, Ireland, and Mr. McDonnell was the fifth generation to live in Boone County.
In 1941, he met Frances Johnson, a Columbia native. They were married on June 12, 1942, in Seattle.
During WWII, Mr. McDonnell served as a cryptographer in the U.S. Army Air Corps headquarters for the China-Burma-India Theater in Calcutta, India. He was a member of the Air Force Reserve when he was recalled to service in 1950 during the Korean War, and he served at Tinker Field, Okla., until he was transferred to Washington, D.C., as part of a special decoding group.
Mr. McDonnell retired in 1981 after working for MFA Insurance Companies, now known as Shelter Insurance, for 27 years.
He was an avid traveler, visiting all 50 states and every continent but Antarctica, as well as an enthusiastic fisherman, trying his luck from the Rockies to the Amazon. Even so, he always returned home to the lakes and streams of Boone County.
While he wasn’t much for fiction, Mr. McDonnell loved staying informed and continuing to learn by reading.
“He loved biographies especially,” said his daughter, Susan Murphy. “But he also read Time and Newsweek.”
Mr. McDonnell was passionate about big-band music, regularly watching the Lawrence Welk Show and trying to pass on his love for the genre to his grandson.
Mr. McDonnell is survived by his wife; a son, Barry L. McDonnell of Jefferson City; his daughter, Susan McDonnell Murphy of Spring, Texas; a sister, Jean McDonnell Bryson of Springfield, Ore.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
One brother, Robert N. McDonnell, died earlier.
Services, conducted by the Rev. Bill Smart, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Parker Funeral Service, 22 N. Tenth St., in Columbia. A reception following the service will be held at the family home at 1404 Strathmore Drive.
Instead of flowers, donations may be sent to the church or charity of the donor’s choice.
Online tributes may be posted at parkerfuneralservice.com.
