Charles Henry McDonald, 89, of Sullivan, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Born in Keene, New Hampshire, on June 19, 1936, he was the son of the late Henry and Carrie (Silver) McDonald of Harrisville.
Charles grew up in Harrisville, where he attended grade school and graduated from Keene High School in 1954. He began raising his family while working various jobs and volunteering with the Harrisville Fire Department. In 1971, he moved to Keene, where his commitment to firefighting continued. He attended NH Technical College and earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Fire Protection with the class of 1976. His passion for the field led him to serve as a New Hampshire Fire Safety instructor and dispatcher for Southwestern NH Fire Mutual Aid for ten years. Later, he founded his own general contracting business, McDonald Contracting, which he operated for twenty years until his retirement.
An avid outdoorsman, Charles loved hunting and fishing. He cherished taking his children camping when they were young and remained a calm, steady presence in the lives of his family and friends. He also found great joy in photography, rising early each morning to capture images of the birds that visited the feeders outside his window.
He is survived by his sons, Douglas McDonald and his wife Michele of Sullivan, New Hampshire, and James McDonald and his longtime partner Laurie Madden of Keene, New Hampshire; his daughters, Holly Malcom of Keene and Vicki White of Keene; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
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