Reginald Reg MacDonald, 85

Reginald MacDonald passed away peacefully and surrounded by family, Feb. 7, 2010. He was 85. Reg was born March 12, 1924, in Whitefish, to Frank and Annie MacDonald. He graduated from Whitefish High School in 1943 and joined the Marine Corps. He was sent to the Pacific where, as a member of the amphibious reconnaissance unit, he took part in the battles of Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. After the war he returned to Montana and attended Montana State University and the University of Montana. He was one of the original employees of Winter Sports Inc., and worked as a brake inspector for the Great Northern Railroad. He married Peggy Lindsay in 1948. They had six children. In 1960 he moved to Bremerton, Wash., and worked as a sheet metal worker at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. He returned to Whitefish and worked as lift manager at Big Mountain, then opened a sheet metal contracting business. Before there was a Big Mountain Resort he often hiked to the top of the mountain to ski down. He later introduced his sister Marguerite to Ed Schenck and liked to claim credit, saying that the match led to the founding of the resort. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy; and infant son, Malcolm; and his brothers, Francis and Ralph. He is survived by his sister, Marguerite Schenck; brother, Mike; stepbrother, Don MacDonald; his six children, Tim MacDonald, Anne Wood, Joe MacDonald, Mary Ellen Goble, Martha Dayries and John MacDonald; 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Whitefish. Rosary and parish vigil will be Friday evening at 7 p.m. at the church. Arrangements are under the care of Austin Funeral Home.