General Info:
I n November 1996, three funeral service firms that had served thousands of families from Watertown and surrounding communities through several generations, joined together as the MacDonald, Rockwell, & MacDonald Funeral Service. The multi-generational owners of all three firms are well-known, respected business and community leaders. The three principals, Donald MacDonald, Joseph MacDonald and William Urquhart are continuing the tradition of professional service and personal commitment to the families they serve. The new relationship enhances the quality and value the firm is able to offer to families who depend upon them. The MacDonald, Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Service is a member of the International Order of the Golden Rule, an honor accorded to only one funeral home in any community. MacDonald, Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Service operates facilities at 270 Main Street in Watertown. Each of the directors may be reached through (617) 924-4700. Rockwell Funeral Service was founded in 1917 by Winthrop Rockwell who was later joined by his son, Arthur "Bud" Rockwell, and in 1971 by William H. Urquhart. Bud, an active parishioner at Phillips Congregational Church, is a Trustee and Corporator of the Watertown Savings Bank, an active member of the Watertown Rotary Club, as well as other civic and fraternal organizations. Bill Urquhart is a member and Director of the Watertown Rotary Club and the Pequossette Masonic Lodge. He has coached Little League, Major League, and Farm teams, as well as Cambridge Youth Hockey. A graduate of Norwich University and the New England Institute of Applied Sciences, he is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Faith in Action Project. Bill is also a director of The Marshall Home in Watertown. Donald J. MacDonald, Jr. joined his father in 1970 at the Donald J. MacDonald & Son Funeral Home, founded in 1935. Donald, active in St. Patrick's Parish, is President of the St. Patrick's Alumni Association. He served for twenty-three years as a Library Trustee in Watertown and also as President of the Mass. Association of Library Trustees. Active in community organizations, including the Rotary Club, the Children's Theater, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 14, he is also a participant in regional cultural organizations, including service as a member and past treasurer of the Circolo Italiano di Boston and a supporter of the Irish Studies program at Boston College, where he received his undergraduate degree. Donald is a director of the Watertown Education Foundation and the Watertown Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of the New England Institute of Applied Sciences where he was awarded the prestigious A. Johnson Dodge Founders award upon graduation. Joseph A. "Sandy" MacDonald joined his father in 1970 at the Joseph A. MacDonald Funeral Service, founded in 1945. Sandy, past Co-President of the Couple's Club of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, was also a CCD teacher and lector. Formerly, an active member of the Watertown Rotary Club, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of his leadership in the Club. Sandy is active in local affairs having served as a member of Watertown's Bicentennial and 350th Anniversary Committees. A founding director of the Watertown Chamber of Commerce, he was named its Person of the Year in 1981. A graduate of Boston College and the N.E. Institute of Applied Sciences, Sandy published in the New England Funeral Director and has lectured on the subject of death and dying, and is a founder and director of the Watertown, Waltham, and Belmont Hospice Association. He is a member of the Watertown Square Revitalization Committee and a member of the Oakley Country Club. Joining the firm in 1999 as an associate was Kevin MacDonald, son of Joseph MacDonald. Kevin, a Watertown resident, is a graduate of Boston College High School and the University of Oregon. He furthered his studies at the Commonwealth Institute in Houston T