Bill McDonald

McDONALD, Bill (William Wallace) Age 80, of Laguna Beach passed away November 16th at Hoag Hospital of Newport Beach, as a result of a fall that resulted in a cerebral hemorrhage. Bill began his professional career in the petroleum industry as a Vice President of Marketing with Signal Oil & Gas in Signal Hill. He then became a Vice President of Edgington Oil Refinery in Paramount, in order to keep his growing family in California. In 1974 he founded Amorient Petroleum Incorporated, an extremely successful multi-faceted international petroleum brokerage that also included tanker ships, a fuel terminal, trucking, and several large-volume gas stations in southern California. One of his side ventures included the world's largest freshwater aquafarm and hatchery in Hawaii and Ecuador. Bill, with his brother, Jim, developed and built the Vista Valley Country Club in Vista, CA in the early 1980's. Bill was a long-time board member of the North Laguna Community Association. After the 1993 Laguna fires, he chaired a group called "The Laguna Coalition" to change the make-up of the Laguna Beach City Council towards one that was more focused on fiscal responsibility. Active in APA (American Paralysis Association), Bill also set in motion various non-profit organizations, beginning with a family-run group known as "Los Pobres Ninos", and presently a local ground knows as "Helping Hands Family." He was a founding member of El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel. Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1999. He is survived by his wife, Ann W. McDonald of Laguna Beach; in addition to his six children, Kathleen, Michael, Janette Taylor, Eileen, Laurie McMahon and Susan Tobia and JoAn L. McDonald, the mother of his children. He was known as "Poppa" to his five grandchildren, Krista Taylor, Thomas and Megan McMahon, Nicole and Connor Tobia. He is also survived by his brother Patrick McDonald of Vista; sisters Janis McDonald of Mesa, AZ and Lois Ann Fipps of Burnet, TX. The family requested that in lieu of flowers, any donations be made in his name to Amyloidosis Support Group, 232 Orchard Drive, Wood Dale, IL 60191 or PanCAN, 2141 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245 both in memory of his brothers-in-law Don and Peter Welch. Services have been held. Bill McDonald was a special human being to so many. He will be sorely missed. O'Connor Mortuary (949) 581-4300 www.oconnormortuary.com