Robert Neill Macdonald

Dr. Robert Neill Macdonald (also known as Bob or B Mac), age 84, died on December 19th, 2020.  He passed away at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia after a two-week struggle with Covid 19.  He was born in Syracuse, New York in 1935 to his beloved parents, Ama and Arthur.  They moved south to Decatur, Georgia when Robert was nine years old.  He graduated from Decatur Highschool in 1953, and from there was accepted into The Georgia Institute of Technology, which was the start of a fabulous education and career journey.  Robert joined Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity early on, making lifelong friends, great memories, and adopted his everlasting nickname, B Mac.

     Robert was always known for his inquisitive and yet often serious nature.  He was a perpetual, self-driven, and tireless student.  To learn something new, and to solve “good problems”, which posed challenges and a new perspective was exciting and inspired him. Robert excelled and thrived in his studies at Ga. Tech.  From 1953 to 1969 he had earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, and a Master of Science, as well as his Doctorate in Nuclear Engineering.  According to him, he felt lucky to be at the Institute at this time. He remarked, how it was a period of great scientific and technical innovation and creativity.  Here, he got to apply his engineering skills, by helping with the design of air conditioning units in the F-100 Fighter Jets at North American Aviation and participate in the design of the J-2 Rocket Engine, which was used later in the moon landing mission and the Space Shuttle.  He also helped with the core design and studies on the Space Nuclear Auxiliary Power Reactor and became Associate Director of the Nuclear Research Center at Georgia Tech.

     From 1963-1996, Robert and Melinda Cowan were married, raising two daughters, Heather, and Carey. They lived in Ansley Park of Atlanta. Some of their fondest memories were of the variety of pets they had growing up: dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, fish, hamsters, turtles, and goats.  Robert loved having animals of all kinds and had a soft heart for those that had been injured or abandoned, often bringing them in to care for.  His daughters remember fun Summer beach trips, science kits, microscopes, and lots of books.  Robert loved football and playing chess or a game of darts.  Saturday mornings meant riding bikes to the local bagel shop or picking up their favorite doughnuts to take home.  He enjoyed eating out and experiencing new restaurants and cuisine from across the globe.  His family says he was a complete “DIY” man, always improving, rebuilding, and repairing something himself at the house. He rarely needed to hire anyone to help with a job.  He had an incredible work ethic and was very talented in both design and building.

      Robert kept his strong, pioneer spirit throughout his life.  From nuclear engineering, he moved into the new field of computer technology. He taught Computer Science at Georgia State University for 15 years and co-authored a textbook on Pascal programming language.  In 1992, he launched his own software consulting firm, Macdonald & Company.  From 1999 to 2015, he married Elaine Keith Macdonald and lived in Smyrna, GA.  With her artistry and love for vibrant colors, they created beautiful flower beds and pots that surrounded their home.  They also shared a love for cats. Several lived indoors, but a Pride of strays were often seen sunning themselves on the back porch.  Robert and Elaine always looked forward and welcomed extended visits from their friends and family.

      After Robert retired in 2017, instead of slowing down, he continued to have a robust and creative life, with projects and social activities.  At age 80, he was still landscaping his own backyard and laying elaborate brick walkways.  For fun, he took apart a broken victrola found at Goodwill, and fixed it!  He maintained close friendships with his fraternity brothers and colleagues by meeting them every Tuesday night for a cold lager and dinner.  At age 83, Robert returned to Georgia Tech as their oldest ever graduate student! He often said, “if you are not learning something new, you are falling behind”, so he enrolled into their online Master of Science, in Analytics Program.  Once again, his friends and family were surprised by his newest endeavor, yet inspired, and respected his courage and determination in the life he lived.  He was loved by many and will be forever missed.

     Robert is survived by his two daughters Heather Macdonald, and Carey Slay (Brant); their mother Melinda Cowan; grandchildren, Lydia Shockey (Jakob), Loren Trottmann, and Curran Slay; great grandchildren, Lyra, Finn, and Oskar; Stepsons, Casey, and Brendon Keith.  Robert is preceded in death by his parents Ama and Arthur Macdonald, wife, Elaine Keith Macdonald, and their adored cats, Jazzy, Tommy and Cali.

     In honor of Robert’s compassion for every stray cat in Smyrna, please consider a donation to Good Mews, a nonprofit organization that provides a community cat program: free spay & neuter for strays, and some medical care.  This is an amazing program in Cobb County. ccp@goodmews.org or call (770)262-0514

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