Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-13
iDR E. W. MCDONALD
Highly Respected Waterbury
 Physician Passed Away.

~no"u anu uoDt IecpcCtou uyciCidAo of Waterbury, died shortly before g o'clock last night at his home. 1SS East Main street. His health was poor for some time past. but there was nothing alarming in his condi- ton yesterday and at the usual hour he started out to visit his patients. When he reached Maple street he felt too weak to get out of the team and finally decided to return to the office. His wife noticed him driving slowly down the street and suspected that there was something wrong. When he entered the house he spoke cheerfully-he knew no other mood
 -and remarked that he had made his last call Physicians were sum moned and the Right Rev Monsignor w. J. Slocum was notified and gave the patient the last rites of the church. All day his condition was considered serious and towards 9 o'clock Monsignor Slocum paid an- other visit to the house, arriving there just few moments before he passed away, surrounded by his wife and children. He was conscious to the last and died fully reconciled.
 Dr Mcdonald was born in Kilfinin, County Limerick. Ireland, on March 11, 1S45, and would have been 62 years of age had he lived until next Sunday. He received his rudimen- tary and classical education in his ative ountry and came to the United States in 1868 and entered the New York university, where he was graduated with high honors in 1Sl1. After spending year in St Vincent's hospital. New York, he came to Waterbury. opened an office on East Main street, and has resided here continuously since. At the out set he commanded a large practice and on and after 1878. when Dr Dougherty had been removed from the field by death, his practice be- came so large that he was obliged to work almost night and day. Skilled in all branches of his profession, he won the distinction of being pre- mier Obstetrician and in one year had something in the neighborhood of 400 births to his credit. In one day he had thirty-three calls. three of which were births. Although con stantly engaged in the practice of his profession, he managed to spare time to acquire a thorough knowledge of public affairs and was we'll posted on all things pertaining to the munich pality. especially educational matters and sanitary conditions. He was a democrat in politics and served with credit for several terms on the board of education, where he did much to- wards bringing the school system of Waterbury to its present high stand ard. When the late Father Mulcahy of the Immaculate Conception par ish, then chairman of the board of education, was appointed vicar-gen- eral and removed to Hartford, Dr Mcdonald was appointed chairman. and served to the end of the term. The demands made upon him by his active participation in educational matters long before the public felt that they could afford to dispense with his services. During Mayor Kilduif's term of ofiice he was city health officer and was also pressed into service during tho regime of the business administration. when John F. Elton was at the helm, where he demonstrated beyond peradventure that although in failing health he had lost none of the ability and force of character that had made him marked man in his younger years. His position on the crematory dis pute and his determined stand for what he believed to be right won the admiration of even those who could not see things from his point. and when the end came and the light of experience was thrown on the work on hand it was evident to all that the doctor was somewhat more far-seeing than most of his associates. He was good tempered man, but when stirred up he was a most formidable opponent and those who encountered him once didn't care to cross swords with him n second time. He had no use for double dealing and little pa- tience with those who practiced it, and in defending people whom he be- lieved to be the victims of designing fellows he often got himself into anis mated discussions and for the time being lost friends. but on the whole he found that it paid and when he had finished his fabors and had made his last call 1t is doubtful if he had a personal enemy in Waterbury. He also served term of twelve years as agent of the Silas Bronson library fund.
 No man. barring none, ever occu- pied higher place in the estimation of his brother physicians than Dr Me Donald His Judgment was always considered good and his honesty of purpose never was questioned. From the time of the formation of the Wa terbury hospital up to seven years |Ago. when he retired at his own re- quest. he was visiting physician on the staff of physicians connected with ! that institution. and even then the l faculty felt that they could not af- l ford to let go from him altogether and placed him on the list of con- sulting physicians and kept him there up to the time of his death. He was | charter member of the Celtic Medi- cal society of this city. its first and only president. and idolized so by his feilow members that short time 'einee. on the recurrence of his birth day. he was made the recipient of |beautiful loving cup. which he cher hshed as one of the most precious s.. l.s L.