Others Magazine

Major Robert McDonald was promoted to glory on 25 December 2022, aged 77, having served as a Salvation Army officer for nearly 55 years.

Robert John McDonald was born on 9 May 1945 in Melbourne. He entered Officer Training College as a cadet from his home corps of Sunshine, and following his commissioning on 11 January 1969, he was appointed as a corps officer to George Town in the Tasmania Division. A year after they were commissioned as lieutenants in the Messengers of Faith session, Robert married Valis Slater on 17 January 1970 and shared a very happy 53 years of life together.

Robert and Valis were corps officers for 20 of the nearly 40 years they served as active officers. Together they served, cared for and loved communities at Smithton, George Town, and Ulverstone in the Tasmania Division (1970–1973). In the Central Melbourne Division, they served at Coburg (1974), and then they were appointed to Stawell (1975), Ballarat (1977), Geelong (1977) and Warrnambool (1980) in the Western Victoria Division. In 1983, they returned to the Tasmania Division as corps officers at Kings Meadows before serving in the South Australia Division as corps officers at Renown Park (1986) and Norwood (1989).

A change of work for Robert and Valis in 1991 saw Robert appointed first as assistant manager at Harry Hunter Adult Rehab Centre (Valis as health and welfare officer) and then as manager at Harry Hunter Adult Rehab Centre (Valis as staff coordinator) in 1993. This was followed by an appointment as manager at Miracle Haven Rehab Services (2001) with Valis serving at his side as associate manager. In 2003 and 2004, Robert and Valis ministered together as chaplains, first to Bethany and then Weeroona aged care centres. Their last appointment prior to retirement on 1 July 2007 was serving as corps officers Victor Harbor in South Australia.

In their retirement, Robert and Valis were involved in duties at Victor Harbor Corps, where they soldiered. For 14 years, Robert served as corps secretary and produced the weekly corps newsletter, which brought much enjoyment to the corps members. Bob and Valis also served the corps in a pro-tem capacity many times when officers were not available for various reasons. In retirement, Bob was involved with The Salvation Army Caravan Group, enjoying many trips. Bob’s favourite place to holiday was The Grampians. Both Valis and Bob enjoyed the time retirement gave them to share with their children and grandchildren.

Our love and prayers, along with our heartfelt sympathy, cover and surround Valis, their children Carolyn, husband Chris and their son Alex and Heather, husband Matthew and their children; Jordan and Ashleigh.

Major Bob taught and lived by the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.“

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.
You have been faithful ... Enter into the joy of your master”
(Matthew 25:23).