Dean Porter McDonald, 93, of Washington, passed away peacefully at 11:58 pm, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Apostolic Christian Home of Eureka.

Dean was born on April 16, 1933, in Clinton, Illinois to Bill K. and Ethel S. (Kirby) McDonald. He married Elizabeth Tuggle on June 4, 1955. Elizabeth preceded Dean in death on May 7, 2013.

Surviving is his sister, Lila Page, two daughters, Deanna (Brian) Reid of Washington and Angie (Steve) Hobbs of Washington; one son, Stuart McDonald of Albuquerque, NM. He has seven grandchildren: Trent (Jamie) Reid, Shannon (Mike) Eagan, Olivia (Austin) Pouilly, Logan (Corinne) Hobbs, Elise (Reuben) Roberts, Natalia McDonald, and Marina McDonald. He has five great-grandchildren: Kennedy, Nora, Victor, Silas, and Reagan.

His parents; one son, David Brian McDonald; three sisters, Hester Prunty, Berneda Daniels, and Eloise Thoms; and brother, Duard McDonald, also preceded Dean in death.

After graduation from Clinton High School, Dean served for 2 years in the army at Ft. Sill, OK during the Korean War. After his service, he returned to Clinton and married his sweetheart, Elizabeth Tuggle. He began his career as a manager for a local Kroger. He left an impact on a large variety of stores throughout the state of Illinois, transferring every few years with his growing family. After 20 years of working for Kroger, Dean and his family settled in Washington. He began his second act working for J. M. Jones, a grocery distributor. He supervised a large territory during his tenure with the company.

Dean retired from J. M. Jones in 2000 and began working part time for Prairie Farms, completing local resets. Much to the delight of his grandchildren, Dean’s retirement job had its perks. He and Liz had a deep freezer in their garage in which their family could always find a fun flavor of discontinued ice cream.

Dean and Liz loved to golf, participating in couples’ leagues at Hillcrest with their dear friends. Their passion for golf followed them on their many retirement travels–from New Mexico to Jamaica, you could always find Dean with his driver in one hand and a Diet Coke in the other.

Dean adored his grandchildren, hosting regular “donut parties” and sleepovers for them at his one-of-a-kind, subterranean home. He and Liz enjoyed attending the sporting events, concerts, and competitions of their grandchildren. Dean was a long-time member of Washington Christian Church. He loved country gospel music. He was dedicated to his Christian faith.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Washington Christian Church, 1012 N. Main Washington, IL with Pastors Kevin Dell and Jeff Browning officiating. Visitation one hour prior to service. Burial will follow in Glendale Cemetery in Washington.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Peoria Rescue Mission or to Washington Christian Church. Online condolences at www.masonfuneralhomes.com.