Kenneth McDonald Jr., a Hampton native passed away January 31, 2017, after a long illness.   He was born in Elizabeth City County, Virginia, to Kenneth McDonald and Helen Morris McDonald on February 5, 1935, in Dixie Hospital. He graduated from Hampton High School in 1952, and then attended Virginia Military Institute, where he participated in cross country and swimming. He graduated in 1956 with a bachelor of science in civil engineering and later became a licensed Civil Engineer. After graduating from VMI, he entered the Army as a 2nd lieutenant. Ken was stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas, Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and Hanau, Germany. He retired from the Army as a Captain in 1963 and went to work with his father at Le-Mac Nurseries, Inc., in Hampton. Le-Mac Nurseries was founded in 1927 by Ken's father and a Frenchman, Jacques Legendre. The nursery at first grew general nursery stock and later specialized in growing evergreen azaleas to be shipped throughout the eastern U.S. to nurseries, garden centers, and florists. Ken took over management of Le-Mac in 1965 when his father died and continued there until his own retirement in 2004. The nursery name was changed to Le-Mac Azaleas in its later years, as its specialty was azaleas and rhododendrons. Ken enjoyed travel and hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and other mountainous areas in the Southeast observing the native azaleas. He was active in many local and national associations including the Virginia Nurserymen's Association (past president), VMI Alumni Peninsula Chapter, American Rhododendron Society (district director), and was also active at the local level in the Middle Atlantic Chapter ARS as president and longtime board member. He was a member of the Colonial Virginia Chapter of the Holly Society of America (past chapter president and board member), Hampton Roads Horticultural Society (past president and board member), the Exchange Club, and served on the Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission. Gardens of special interest are the Sandra and Kenneth McDonald Azalea and Rhododendron Garden at James Madison University's Edith J. Carrier Arboretum in Harrisonburg, VA, and the McDonald Hybrid Azaleas area at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk.

Ken is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sandra Kibbee McDonald, Ph.D., children Kenneth Allen McDonald (Cheryl) of Smithfield; Amy McDonald Blow (Wes) of Newport News; Leslie Margot Gerber (John) of Berthoud, Colorado; Brian Neil McDonald (Margaret) of Memphis, Tennessee; Scott Douglas Gerber, Ph.D. of Ada, Ohio; granddaughter Isabel Alessandra McDonald, Tennessee; sister Marjorie McDonald Gordon (Bruce), Hawaii.

The family will receive friends on Friday, February 10th from 5 to 7pm at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home with the funeral at St. John's Episcopal Church on Saturday, February 11th at 1:30pm. A reception will follow at the church parish house.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. John's Episcopal Church, 100 West Queen's Way, Hampton, VA 23669; the American Rhododendron Society, ARS Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 214, Great River, NY 11739 or Perc Moser, ARS Research Foundation, 301 Caversham Rd., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010;   or Virginia Military Institute,

http://www.vmi.edu/foundation/about-giving/ways-to-give/memorial-gifts/

Funeral arrangements made by R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home.