Longtime Dartmouth public servant Jacquelyn “Jackie” McDonald was honored in style this May, recognized with four official citations and the warm appreciation of 160 people gathered in her name.
McDonald devoted more than three decades to the town, serving on the Conservation Commission, Community Preservation Committee, Soil Board, and Council on Aging Board of Directors. She was a Town Meeting member for more than 30 years and served on the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Board of Directors for a decade. Her son Shawn now sits on the Dartmouth Select Board, a sign that the family’s commitment to the community runs deep.
Rep. Christopher Markey captured something essential when he spoke before presenting McDonald with a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
“Everybody who knows Jackie, (knows) she’s no nonsense….She has the ability to guide people in their being generously to get to where they wanted to go. Because she cared,” he said. “She’s been an incredible asset to the town.”
Citations also came from Congressman Bill Keating, presented by District Director Mike Jackman; from the Massachusetts Senate via Sen. Mark Montigny, presented by Coastline CEO Justin Lees; and a certificate of recognition from the Dartmouth Council on Aging, presented by COA Director Amy Dipietro.
When asked how it felt to receive such an outpouring of respect and gratitude, McDonald deflected the honor, suggesting there were so many others more deserving of the spotlight.
“I’m a little person, just trying to do what I can, you know?” she said. “I enjoyed it; I enjoyed going to volunteer.”
McDonald spoke warmly of her time with the Dartmouth Music School Association and working the concession stand at Dartmouth Memorial Stadium and during events at Gillette Stadium.
Dartmouth Town Administrator Cody Haddad put it plainly.
“You already all know how great a person Jackie is. The asset that she has been to the town of Dartmouth, the years of service. It’s truly a lifetime of service to the community,” he said.
The Friends of the Elderly event was held May 18 at the Country Club of New Bedford during Older Americans Month, with Maria Connor, FOE president, serving as emcee. Connor set the tone for the evening with a reminder of why these moments matter.
“May is Older Americans Month, a time to recognize the contribution that older Americans have made to our country and indeed the world, and to honor them for their leadership they have provided and the sacrifices they have made,” she told attendees. “So today, even though we’re not there yet… it is a celebration of where we’ve been and where we’re going, the past and the future.”
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