James A. Macdonald

James A. MacDonald, 78, of Lyndhurst, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Mr. MacDonald, son of James A. & Mary MacDonald, was born in Teaneck, and raised in Ridgefield, NJ. He graduated from Dwight Morrow H.S., and attended Seton Hall and Fairleigh Dickenson Universities. He served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps. for three years, and retired from General Felt Industries. Mr. MacDonald is survived by his wife, Margaret (nee Hoar) and two sons, James & Michael. He is also survived by his sisters, Susan MacDonald, Florence Kensek & her husband, Paul, Eleanor Klinger & her husband, Arlen, Margaret Kearns & her husband, Gregg, and his brother, John Robert MacDonald; all of New Jersey. Also surviving are 28 nieces and nephews, and many grandnieces and grandnephews. He is predeceased by his son, Kevin, his sister, Marianne Gaertner, and brother-in-law, Raymond H. Gaertner. Mr. MacDonald had a passion for sports. Known affectionately as "Coach Mac", he was a phenomenal softball coach and mentor to hundreds of athletes. He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Saint Mary's H.S., Rutherford, in 1987, and remained there for 25 years. During his time in the program, St. Mary's won 14 League Championships, 5 Parochial B North Sectional Championships, 1 Bergen County Championship, and, in 1998, the Parochial B New Jersey State Championship. The team's overall record during that time was a sensational 434 wins and 151 losses; including an outstanding League Record winning streak of 137 straight league games from 1994 through 2001. Coach Mac also coached the Charmers traveling softball team for 15 years, and was a highly respected pitching coach among athletes throughout New Jersey. As a testament to his love and devotion of the game and his players, Coach MacDonald was inducted into the Bergen County Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2000, he was presented with the Richard Poor Award, given by the Greater Bergen County YMCA for "service to the community"; and in 2010, he was awarded the Bergen County Women Coaches Association's "Unsung Hero Award" for inspiring and educating female student athletes. Funeral Saturday 9 AM from the Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home, 425 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst. Funeral Mass 10 AM Sacred Heart R.C. Church. Interment George Washington Memorial Park. Friends will be received Friday 3-8 PM. Donations may be made to American Cancer Society, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack NJ 07601.