MacDonald, Craig, 74, September 26, 1949-July 9, 2024, Historian, Journalist, Author Pulitzer Prize nominee, newspaper/magazine writer and editor, nationally-syndicated columnist, television producer, band leader, promoter of the 1984 Olympics and America's Cup, and keynote speaker at universities & national conferences, grew up in San Jose but spent most his life in Huntington Beach where he lived for more than 40 years.
Happiest with his role as a father to son, Chris, and husband to photojournalist Debbie Stock, the 4th Generation writer/editor for newspapers & magazines loved playing tennis, taking walks and exploring California's fascinating history.
Craig, whose college teammate became the NBA's first Slam Dunk Champion, coached his son's National Junior Basketball Leagues' championship team and Christian Youth baseball team. He also loved to speak on both journalism and history and give back while doing so.
The Army veteran who trained at Fort Ord was on the President's Advisory Board at Cal State Fullerton and set up the first SeniorNet (in the Los Angeles/Orange County/Inland Empire) at the college's Ruby Gerontology Center. The Pacific Bell Computing Center taught seniors how to use computers to communicate with grandchildren and others around the world as well as do business. He also showed members of Congress how easy it was to use the French Minitel computing system that helped lead to the first major overhaul of the Telecommunications Act in nearly 62 years.
He chaired the Orange County Transportation Coalition deputies, representing the top executives and companies in OC, which helped successfully get Measure M (a 1/2-cent sales tax) passed, that has led to more than $4 billion in transportation improvements.
As a San Diego Union reporter, Craig got to do lot of fascinating things, including walking alongside and talking with Prince Charles as he toured San Diego, sing with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, interview President Richard Nixon, talk with John Updike, George Plimpton and boxing champ Archie Moore, interview WWII fighting ace Pappy Boyington, play tennis with Kenny Rogers and Rod Laver, be the paper's San Diego Zoo reporter and compete in hot air balloon races.
Sometimes he was an investigative reporter, doing such things as writing a series on how federal revenue-sharing funds often were not reaching senior citizens, how a popular performing arts theater was operating without permits, how the Energy Crisis was affecting everyone (this 6-part series won a national Consumer Affairs reporting award, which he shared with a co-writer). He also helped cover the two biggest plane crashes in U.S. History.
His weekly "At Your Leisure" columns were syndicated in more than 2,000 newspapers, His favorite gig (5 years) was being the Union's Sunday Features writer.
For years, he spoke at universities, museums, national, state & historical conferences as well as many non-profits. Often, in lieu of pay for his speeches, Rotary Clubs donated polio shots to countries like Afghanistan; museums gave wheelchairs for use in African nations, and both Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs donated books to local libraries.
He inspired through his history and religious talks with one of his favorite lectures about his great-, great-, great-, great-grandfather, the Reverend James Caldwell, who he paid homage to in his book, "The Rebel Reverend: An American Revolution Hero." A champion for "Unsung Heroes," Craig also researched and wrote about Jessie Benton Fremont who "saved Yosemite," and was the first person to write a nationally-published book about the first woman to vote in a national election, 52 years before all women got the right to vote. His article on the first woman sheriff in Nevada was selected as one of the top stories in the 20th Century for the book, "The Historical Nevada Magazine."
He encouraged others. The Phi Kappa Phi graduate of San Jose State, a member of Phi Alpha Theta (the national history honor society), wrote 24 books, including the best-selling "Old West Christmas-Tales With a Twist," which he co-authored with his father, Franklin MacDonald, an English professor at San
Jose State University. It was selected as the California State Library's "Book of the Week."
For 5 years, Craig and his son created, produced and directed, "Forever Young," a very popular variety show, featuring America's Oldest Professional Entertainers from Broadway, Television and the Big Bands. They ranged in age from the late 80s to 107!
Craig passed away at the age of 74 at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach after nine years of treatment for multiple myeloma cancer - an incurable, rare blood disorder with a 35 percent higher rate of diagnosis for veterans who served at Fort Ord than the general U.S. population. Proud, patriotic and passionate about serving his country, Craig MacDonald never complained about his illness or pain, but preferred to inspire others with messages of hope for a bright future.
Survived by his wife, Debbie, son Chris, and beloved friend & caregiver, Jannina Turado, his ashes will be scattered at sea with an ocean cruise at sunset planned in his memory. Craig's wish would be that you do a kind deed for someone else, be it donating to your favorite charity or holding a door open for another person and giving them a smile.
Craig's favorite advice: "Encourage others, stand up for what's right, even if you're the only one standing, be objective, empathize, try to be positive, keep your sense of humor, Trust in the Lord & live one day at a time."
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