Thomas R. McDonald

Thomas Ryan McDonald, “Ryan”, “Dad”, “Poppa” 

Ryan McDonald passed away very unexpectedly, but peacefully, with his family by his side, on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 in Rogers, Arkansas.

Ryan was born on November 3, 1944 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was the son of the late Thomas and Dorothy (Burding) McDonald. He was also the loving and devoted husband of the late Roberta ( Pace ) McDonald. 

Ryan was raised primarily in Barrington, Rhode Island and was a long time resident of Riverside, Rhode Island. Ryan was educated at Bayview and LaSalle Academies and Fairfield University, before graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He also proudly served his country in the United States Navy, retiring with the rank of Commander in 1994. After retiring from the Navy he was employed at Texas Instruments and later the United States Postal Service. He was a faithful communicant of St. Brendan’s Church in Riverside, RI. 

Not one to remain stationary for very long he also had a fondness for being outdoors, going for walks, riding his bike for many miles and traveling to many destinations across the world. 

Ryan found endless joy and happiness spending time with his grandchildren, celebrating life milestones, attending their sporting events, concerts, plays and watching them bowl on Saturday mornings. 

Ryan leaves behind his son Jeremy ( Erica ) McDonald of Riverside, his daughter Elizabeth (Liz) Bedard ( Dennis ) and their children Colin and Corinne Bedard, also of Riverside, and his bonus son John Fitz-Simon ( Wendy ) and their children Shannon and Leah, of West Warwick, RI.  He was also the cherished companion of Susan Bachelor of Centerton, AR.

Also left to cherish his memory are his brother in law and sister in law Russell and Jackie Pace of Riverside, Rhode Island, sister in law Susan Pace of Cumberland, Rhode Island and a host of nieces and nephews. 

The family would also like to acknowledge the staff of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas who provided excellent care and compassion to Ryan as he eased from this life to rejoin his family in heaven. 

In lieu of flowers a donation of your choice can be made to Friends of Townie Athletics Unified Sports, P.O. Box 16521, Rumford, RI.  02916