William J. McDonald, who died unexpectedly at his home on June 3rd at the age of 58, was a man impossible to sum up in a sentence. Or a paragraph. Or, perhaps, in an entire obituary.

But there is only one word to start with: beloved.

Some others that come to mind include smart, funny, kind. Compassionate. Intellectual. Hardworking. Loving and fiercely loyal to his many friends. Brave. Endlessly curious. Creative. Frugal – unable to pass up a bargain, and he knew where to find the good ones.

Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Gladys Elizabeth (Betty) Latham and Edward McDonald. He is survived by his sister, Paula J. Michaud of Beaufort, SC; his cousins Dianne Ambrosino, Daniel Beagan, Joseph Beagan and Dorothy Feldmann; and numerous second cousins. He was predeceased by his mother’s second husband Vasco Correia, his stepsister Irene Souza and his cousin Mary Branch.

His early years were spent amid a gaggle of relatives in an apartment above other family members, said his cousin and godmother, Dianne Ambrosino. The boy they called Billy Joe had a distinctive personality from the beginning. “He was fun-loving, very creative. He loved to pretend and dress up. And his mother encouraged that. He was a character and spent a lot of time with adults, he was a smart kid. Very curious as a child. He had the kind of mind that was constantly working. He was an avid reader like his mother, who used to write poetry.”

From an early age, William was forthright about his sexual orientation, announcing “I like boys!” to his lifelong best friend Michael Evora in eighth grade - a time when such honesty could be dangerous. And as unapologetic as he was about being gay, he was equally unapologetic about being a lover and follower of Christ, joining God in His work at Catholic, Baptist, UCC and Methodist parishes/congregations over the course of his life.

William’s powerful intellect was paired with an equally impressive memory. If you couldn’t recall the particulars of something that occurred five, ten or fifty years prior, you could count on him to.

His educational and career path reflected his many interests and passions. Originally aiming for the priesthood, he graduated from Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, a seminary for Catholic missionaries. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English and was class valedictorian, spending a year abroad at the Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.

Once home in Providence, he embarked in new directions, landing a job at Fleet Bank where he began to develop the workplace training skills that took him over the years to a number of banks and businesses, including Citizens Bank, Staples, and Santander. On the side, he pursued his love of fun and fine dining, working at various restaurants and ultimately establishing his own part-time catering business, Bacchanalia Catering. He was an excellent cook.

William earned a master’s degree in adult education in 2015 and did coursework towards an MBA. He was proficient in just about all business software and learning systems, including distance training and webinars, and trained hundreds if not thousands of people in job skills.

Good as he was in business, his real passions lay in other areas. In 1991 he was a founding member of the Prism of Praise Community Gospel Choir, which for the past 32 years has ministered in churches, schools, prisons and other venues across the region. He was planning to attend a Prism rehearsal on the day he died; his gorgeous tenor voice will be sorely missed. He also was a star performer for years with the Providence Journal Follies.

Prism of Praise, while central in his life, was just part of his life ministry. He taught English at the RI Family Literacy Initiative; served on the board of the Providence Family Learning Center and the Carlos J. DaLomba Scholarship Foundation; and worked with the Blackstone Valley chapter of RIARC.

Characteristically, William spun his own struggles with alcohol and gambling into a decades-long effort to help others. After working to achieve his own sobriety, he became a much-loved sponsor for many and a leading figure in area sobriety groups. He was never too busy to help a friend--or a stranger--in trouble.

Calling hours will be Tuesday, June 13, 4pm to 6pm at Keefe Funeral Home, 5 Higginson Avenue, Lincoln, RI, with a memorial service to follow at the funeral home at 6pm. The service will be live-streamed. On the day of the service, starting at 6pm there will be a screen at the bottom of this obituary to press play in order to view the service live.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to one of two organizations: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA members only, as AA, in keeping with its Seventh Tradition of self-support, only accepts contributions from AA members) at www.aa.org, or to Prism of Praise Community Gospel Choir, c/o Michael Evora, 215 Rankin Avenue, Providence, RI 02908..