Carol Ham McDonald

Carol was born in Austin to Riley and Faye Hunt Ham in 1934 and grew up in Lubbock.  Two sets of her great-grandparents came to the region in the 1880’s and helped settle Lubbock – the George M. Hunts and John B. Greens. She and her future husband Walt were classmates at Lubbock High.An art major at Abilene Christian, Carol edited the college yearbook her junior year, served as vice-president of GATA, and graduated magna cum laude. After graduation, she worked as a graphic artist in Austin for the State of Texas until she married Walt McDonald in 1959. Most paintings hanging in their home are hers. Fascinated with drawings from childhood, she enjoyed illustrating posters for events in high school, college, and at the Air Force Academy; designing covers of Walt’s books; compiling photo albums and scrapbooks for clubs and her children; and drawing hundreds of cartoons for the family.She and Walt were blessed with three adopted children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandsons, the darlings of their hearts. A long-time member of the Broadway Church of Christ, she cherished those friends and many in other churches. Carol served as Red Cross volunteer in the Pediatrics Department of the Air Force Academy Hospital before Walt retired from the Air Force and they moved back to Lubbock. For decades she served on numerous service committees in Air Force and university clubs and churches, especially preparing food and visiting the ill or grieving.All who knew beautiful Carol loved her kind and happy spirit, her compassion and joy, her faith in the Lord, and her loving heart. Cheerful and modest, she never knew how brave, how gentle and wise and wonderful she was. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grands loved her dearly, and she was the love and delight of her husband’s life.Carol was preceded in death by her parents; their son David Michael McDonald and three of his four children: Jennifer, Michael, and Jessica McDonald; sister-in-law, Liz McDonald Paschall and brother-in-law, Clyde Paschall; and brother-and-sister-in-law, Bo and Virginia McDonald.Carol is survived by her husband, Walt; daughter, Cindy Wright and husband Kelly and their children, Jacob, Jordan, and Jillian, and great-grandson Hayden; grandson, David Matthew McDonald and son, Christopher David; son, Charles McDonald and wife, Amy, and daughters Riley Jane and Amelia Scout; niece, Tana McDonald Beasley; and cousins Preston and Patti Riediger and Patti’s children; and numerous other loving cousins and friends.Carol Ham McDonald died on Friday, July 5, 2019, with faith in her Lord and Savior.