Roll Call Tribute

Published in the Mobile (AL) Register and Baldwin County on May 27, 2016

Alfred Hudson McDonald(1937 - 2016)
August 9, 1937-May 23, 2016 Lt. Col. Alfred Hudson McDonald, USA (Ret) entered eternal rest May 23, 2016. Relatives and friends of Colonel McDonald are invited to attend his visitation on Saturday, May 28, 2016 at Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home from 12:00 Noon until 2:00 PM. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2:00 PM from the funeral home chapel. Interment, with full military honors, will follow in Mobile Memorial Gardens. Colonel McDonald, the son of Alfred Sidney "Buddy" McDonald and Sybil Berneil Counselman McDonald, was born August 9, 1937 in Mobile, AL. He was preceded in death by his parents and one adopted Korean daughter, Kimberly Ann McDonald. He attended the University Military School while living in Plateau and Chickasaw, AL, and graduated from Vigor High School. Hudson received his Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn University) in December, 1959 and his Masters of Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1966. His military education included graduation from the Army Command and General Staff College. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Order, Society of Military Engineers, Military Officers of America Association (Past President), Sons of Confederate Veterans, and numerous other fraternal, professional, educational and Military Veteran organizations. He was an active member of the Spanish Fort Church of Christ. Hudson had a distinguished military career with the US Army as a Corps of Engineer Officer. As a combat engineer, he served in support of the 101st Airborne and as the Assistant Division Engineer for the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam, as well as the Staff Engineer for the Post Commander at Long Binh, VN where he saw serious action. He served in Thailand as the Staff Construction Engineer for the 9th Logistical Command and in Korea as an advisor to the Second Republic of Korea Army. On a second tour of Korea, he served as Deputy Commander of the Facilities Engineer Activity – Korea (FEA-K) which maintained over 130 facilities to support US Troops. His most notable service was the years spent as the Army's expert in development of Night Vision equipment for Infantry use; among which was the Night Vision Goggles and others. His last assignment returned him home as the Deputy District Engineer of the US Army Corps of Engineers – Mobile District where he, among other duties, would serve three states in clean-up of Hurricane Fredric destruction. His military awards include three Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, an Air Medal, a Joint Service Commendation Medal and three Army Commendation Medals. In addition, Hudson was awarded three unit medals: The Meritorious Unit Commendation, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, the Vietnam Civic Action Medal and six other service medals. After retirement, Hudson went to work in the field of construction and his first project was the development of two miles of canal on Ono Island from east to west. Later he became Director of the Architectural Engineering Department for the City of Mobile and, as project manager, accomplished numerous projects, such as "Mobile Landing". Subsequently, he became Director of Special Projects for the County of Mobile and also accomplished numerous projects. All the while, he stayed active in many civic organizations and served several years on the Planning Commission of Saraland, AL. He remarried and began enjoying his children and step-children, as well as returned to his true love of nature with hunting and fishing at his river farm on the Tensaw River north of Mobile and devoted more time to his philatelic and numismatic and continued until death. He founded Colonel's Coins and Stamp Company in 1987. He penned his autobiography in 2010, "One Man's Message" and also "Confederate Currency and Postal History – My Collector 1949-2015", during 2015. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Cheryl Alexander McDonald of Spanish Fort, AL; his son, Alfred Hudson "Bubby" (Joy) McDonald II; daughter, Melissa Claudette McDonald of Frisco, TX; four step-children, Gwyn Tillman, Robert Anthony (Loretta) Cottrell, Michael Kent Cottrell and Leigh Ann (Chris) Derbyshire; four granddaughters, Presley Conover of Frisco, TX, Marleigh McDonald, Cambelle McDonald and Sydney McDonald of Bay Minette, AL; three sisters, Carolyn McDonald Parham of Daphne, AL, Jacqueline Ann (Russ) Corley of Nashville, TN and Debra Lea (Ed) Montesano of Montgomery, AL; other dear relatives and friends. Serving as pallbearers will be Alfred Hudson McDonald II, Lawrence Jordan "Jordy" Parham II, Jeffrey Hudson Shearer, Robert Hughes Shearer, Jr., Jarred Marshall Tillman, Blake Garrett Tillman, Trent Peyton Tillman, and Scott Roy Fondren. Honorary pallbearers will be Robert Hughes Shearer, Sr., Augustine Meaher III, Joseph L. Meaher, Robert Malcolm McMillan, Sr., Thomas Archie McMillan, Sr., Chestley Gary McNorton, Albert James Isacks and Phillip W. Brown. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Hudson's memory be made to Spanish Fort Church of Christ, 8100 Spanish Fort Boulevard, Spanish Fort, AL 36527 or Admiral Semmes Camp #11, Sons of Confederate Veterans, 1211 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36604. Condolences may be offered at www.mobilememorialfunerals.com.




Funeral Home
Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home
6040 Three Notch Road Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 661-7700