JT McDonald

JT McDonald, 73, of Irving, Texas, died August 4, 2019 in Irving. Active in the banking industry for over 40 years, JT McDonald was well known and widely respected for his business savvy and his commitment to excellent customer service. His long tenure with HomeBank in Seagoville, Texas, coincided with its growth, development, and expansion. Following his retirement in 2012, JT relocated to Irving, Texas, ultimately coming to share a home with his son and grandchildren. Born July 25, 1946, in Bastrop, Louisiana, JT spent his early years in Mobile, Alabama, where he enjoyed playing baseball, tending to his newspaper delivery route, and selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts door-to-door. After his father's death in 1962, his family moved to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where JT finished high school, was a tight end on the AHS Badger football team, and stocked shelves at the local grocery store. JT attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark., on a football scholarship. At OBU, he joined ROTC, participated in the Rho Sigma Social Club, and graduated in 1968 with a BA in Accounting. As a Lieutenant in the US Army, JT was stationed in Kentucky, Virginia, and Colorado. In August 1970, he left active duty to attend graduate school at Louisiana State University. He made his way through numerous accountant positions before moving into the banking world at McIlroy Bank & Trust in Fayetteville, Ark. In 1987, he moved to the Dallas area to work at Seagoville State Bank, later HomeBank Texas. He is a graduate of the Southwestern School of Banking at SMU. In his free time, JT enjoyed playing golf, sitting on the beach, and watching movies—with a particular fondness for 1996's utterly forgettable Down Periscope. JT disliked airplanes and was known to drive astronomical distances in lieu of flying. He was a stickler for punctuality, a minimalist in his home décor, and a frequent customer at the car wash. Over the years, he welcomed several rescue dogs into his home; in fact, his last act in this world was taking Toby for a walk. Above all else, JT's greatest joy in life was caring for his family. JT was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Thomas McDonald, of Mobile, Ala., his mother and step-father, Helen and Jim Ed Strong, of Arkadelphia, Ark., his brother, Bill McDonald, of Arkadelphia, Ark., and his nephew, Tom McDonald, of Dallas, Texas. He is survived by his children, of whom he was so proud: daughter, Michelle Hendrix (Zeke), of Charlotte, N.C., and son Andrew McDonald, of Irving, Texas; his precious grandchildren, Nolan and Lydia Hendrix, and Miles and Molly McDonald; and Eloise Ellis (Mark Walsh), of Austin, Texas, the mother of his children. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Elaine Collins (Don), of Arkadelphia, Ark., and his nieces and nephews, Kim McCullough, of Boone, N.C., Shane Tucker, of Searcy, Ark., and Chris Collins of Bethel, Alaska. A celebration of JT's life will be held Monday, August 12, 2019, 11 a.m., at Donnelley's Colonial Funeral Home, 606 West Airport Freeway, Irving, Texas 75062. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 841125, Dallas, Texas 75284-1125, would be appreciated.