Barbara McDonald

Barbara Jean McDonald, 80, of Cedar Falls, passed away peacefully on April 5, 2025, surrounded by family. She was born on November 24, 1944, in Washington, Iowa, the daughter of James Knox Dunn II and Mary Frances (Luckey) Dunn. She graduated from Winfield-Mount Union High School, and went on to attend The State College of Iowa, earning her bachelor’s degree in Textiles and Apparel. On March 26,1966, she was united in marriage to Larry McDonald in Waterloo. The couple made their home in Cedar Falls where they raised their two daughters. She was a dedicated member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, helping with marriage preparation and the funeral lunch committee, and served as a eucharistic minister. Barb worked for several years in various customer service/sales roles before retiring from Viking Pump in 2003. Barb’s joy for life, love of her family and friends leave a true legacy behind. She loved playing tennis, reading, crossword puzzles, and watching HGTV. She was an avid cook and loved good music. She also loved spending winters in Florida with Larry and some of the McDonald clan after retirement. Family was everything to Barb. A tradition that was special to her was hosting Thanksgiving Day family dinner. Her favorite role of all in life was that of a mom and Grammie. She loved her children and grandchildren “to the moon and back.” Her numerous nieces and nephews always felt her love as well. Barb is survived by her daughters, Debbie Flannery of Cedar Falls, IA and Colleen (Carey) Melz of Lakeville, MN; four grandchildren, Julie Flannery and Connor, Carter, and Caitlyn Melz; brothers, Jim, Tom (Yassie), and Bob (Denise) Dunn; and sisters, Mary Ellen Settle and Elizabeth Milligan Garcia. She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Larry; infant sister, Catherine Dunn and niece, Jaimie Dunn. Funeral services will be held at 11: 00 a.m., Friday, May 2,2025 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Waterloo. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until service time at the church. Interment will take place at Greenwood Cemetery in Cedar Falls. Memorials may be directed to The Alzheimer’s Association of Northeast Iowa, The Lymphoma Research Foundation or Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

Barbara McDonald

November 24, 1944 - April 5, 2025