OBITUARY JAMES JOSEPH MCDONALD 1934-2020

We are saddened to hear of the loss of a great character and contributor to the tiling industry.

Joe suffered for 10 years with Parkinson’s before passing away peacefully on 15th April 2020 at St Quentin Nursing Home in Newcastle-under-Lyme where he had lived for the last two years with his lovely wife Nona.

Joe was born in Coatbridge in Scotland. He started work straight from school for a local company as an errand boy. He moved around the UK quite a lot when he was building his career, but settled in Stafford and lived there and in the Stoke-on-Trent area for most of his life.

Joe’s career with the Norcros Group took him from a Director with Critall Windows, Managing Director of AG Ceramics and Marketing Director of BAL during the period of 1988 to 1994 before retiring. Not bad for a lad from a good honest working class background – errand boy to MD.

Joe was a lively character with a great sense of humour and an amazing capacity for forming close links and friendship with people; you could always depend on his wit to keep a party in full swing. It only took two or three visits to the same restaurant for him to be on first name terms with all of the staff and be chatting to them like old friends.

Joe and Nona loved travelling, in particular cruising. They always came back from holidays with new friends in their address book, many of whom they stayed in touch with for the rest of Joe’s life.  

He leaves behind his wife and best friend Nona and his two sons Martin and Dominic. 

Joe’s family are very grateful to all of the staff at St Quentin Nursing Home who cared for him whilst doing a heroic job in these very difficult times.