John J. McDonald Football Complex honors Pop Warner enthusiast

When the John J. McDonald Football Complex at All American Park was officially dedicated on Jan. 12, its namesake was unaware of the reason he'd been invited.

"He thought we were going to do something to honor (former mayor pro tem) Gary Reese," said Michael McDonald, his son. "When we got there, they said, 'No, this is for you.' "

The elder McDonald, who will turn 87 in June, was involved with Pop Warner Football for years and acted as an unofficial coach.

His son, Michael, who would go on to be a city councilman and is now working with the Republican Party effort in Nevada, recalled what it was like to have his father as his football coach.

"It was difficult; I had to be the example," he said, "not that my dad was hard on me."

Jordan Ross is a friend of the family. He said everyone refers to John McDonald as "Mr. Mack." What strikes people when they first meet "Mr. Mack?"

"His amazing cheerfulness, his graciousness," Ross said. "And when he shakes your hand ... he still has that firm, worker's kind of grip."

John McDonald grew up in Butte, Mont. That's where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Doris.

He served in the Navy in World War II on an aircraft carrier. His ship was one of the escorts when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

After the war, he moved to Reno, where he became a dealer in a casino. He followed the industry to Southern Nevada and dealt games in various casinos -- the Golden Nugget, the Thunderbird, the Dunes -- and worked his way up to casino manager.

Meanwhile, he and Doris raised their family of two daughters in the area around Washington Avenue and Decatur Boulevard, a middle-class neighborhood.

When Michael was born, his father was 40, older than everyone else's parents. But John McDonald was active in his son's life, especially where sports were concerned. When a child was not performing well and was pulled out of the football lineup, John McDonald would give him individualized coaching on the sidelines. He was known to sponsor teams.

After work, he'd be at Ed Fountain Park at Decatur Boulevard and Vegas Drive to assist with after-school sports. He was involved in coaching baseball, track and football, but football was near and dear to his heart. John McDonald's favorite professional teams are the San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots. The latter is a favorite because Boston was where he was honorably discharged from the Navy.

When Michael McDonald was growing up, their home was called "the Kool-Aid house," a magnet for neighborhood children.

"Mom would have dinner on the table at 5 every night," Michael McDonald said. "I'd always had a friend over ... there would be no TV on. We'd talk about what had happened that day, how everyone's day had gone. He kept us all involved."

In quieter moments, John McDonald enjoyed storytelling, describing how tough life was during the Great Depression. He often used those stories as examples of life lessons and the importance of making the right choices.

"Integrity was big with my father," Michael McDonald said. "If you did something wrong, you had to own up to it."

He recalled being especially close with his father, kissing him goodbye each day before heading off to school and again when he went off to bed.

"I thought every kid did that," he said.

The newly dedicated football fields at 1151 S. Buffalo Drive almost didn't become a reality. In the late 1990s, area residents were adamant that no commercial zoning be allowed in the area. It took a number of community meetings to iron out the details. John McDonald worked with neighbors to see that the vacant land would become a youth football-designated complex. That dream was realized in 2001, when All American Park, which features six fields for youth football, opened.

Reese also was involved in many of those efforts to find a happy medium, the reason John McDonald thought he was going to an event to honor the councilman.

"Thanks to the vision of the City Council and John McDonald, youth from all over the community are able to enjoy the beautiful fields at the football complex at All American Park," said Steve Wolfson, then city councilman, at the event. "It is fitting that we name the fields for John because he has supported youth football for his entire life and helped see that youth got recreational opportunities they may not otherwise have had."

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.