Donald G. Mcnamara

McNamara, Donald G., 81, passed peacefully on the afternoon of September 16, 2017 in the company of his wife of 62 years, Valerie, and his family. Called to service with God, Don was reunited in everlasting life with his mother and father, Alice and George, and his brothers Jim, Bill and Tom and their spouses. He is survived by his wife Valerie (nee Gonia), their 3 children and spouses Timothy (Jean), Robert (Kathleen), and Theodore (Julia), and 9 grandchildren Joseph (Megan), Daniel (Tara), Gregory (Megan), Christopher (Elise), Connor (Michelle), Clare, Flynn (Fred Cibik), Keenan and Kevin, and 7 greatgrandchildren. All have been bountifully blessed to have been members of Donald’s and Valerie’s family, with so many wonderful times together. Don was born April 13, 1936 in Detroit, Michigan and began a storied life. While growing up in Alice’s and George’s household in Ferndale, Mich., he and his brother Tom would travel summers to work on their Uncle Henry’s homesteaded wheat ranch in the rugged country known as the Missouri Breaks near Winifred, Montana. Don began these travels even before his teenage years, as they would travel by the Milwaukee Road rail to Roundup, Montana where Uncle Henry would pick them up in his Model T. Don would learn many life lessons while working on the ranch, including an appreciation for hard work and the outdoors, along with a dislike for snakes. He soon inherited this property from his Uncle Henry and it remains in the family to this day. Later Don attended Marquette University, where he acquired his undergraduate business degree in accounting and his Juris Doctor in 1961 from Marquette University Law School. Don met the love of his life, Valerie, while attending Marquette. A self-made man, Don earned his way through school and began to raise a family as a self-taught butcher. Along with his law degree, Don became a CPA and began his professional career as a tax attorney at the Touche, Ross, Bailey and Smart accounting firm (known today as Deloitte Touche) in downtown Milwaukee. An entrepreneur in heart and spirit, Don saw an opportunity to become a business owner and joined his client, F.J.A. Christiansen Roofing Co., Inc. (FJAC), as majority owner in 1967. Working in partnership with the third generation Bob Christiansen, Don harnessed his sharp business and financial intellect and used his engaging personality to grow FJAC into a leading roofing contractor, with operations based in Milwaukee and Chicago. Area landmarks that bear the FJAC product at their summits include Milwaukee City Hall, Milwaukee County Courthouse, the 100 East Building, the Basilica of St. Josaphat, the Basilica at Holy Hill, the Bradley Center, Milwaukee Federal Courthouse, many Marquette University buildings including the Law and Dental Schools, the Milwaukee Chase Bank Building, Chicago’s McCormick Place and countless others. With his professional acumen, Don also helped lead the formation of distributor and manufacturer enterprises within the industry. He served as President of the National Roofing Contractors Association as it celebrated its centennial year (the San Francisco convention was entertained by Bob Hope and Wisconsin governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus), as well as the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association. Both associations bestowed their highest honor upon Don as he received NRCA’s J.A. Piper Award and MRCA’s James Q. McCawley Award. Don also was called to serve on various boards including M&I First National Leasing and others. Don would eventually retire from FJAC in 1995, only to rejoin his family business to help lead the formation of Tecta America Corp. He helped bring Tecta together in 2000 as a consolidation of 10 leading U.S. roofing contractors (including FJAC) which has since grown to over 50 locations. One of two organizers of Tecta, Don also served as its first CEO and on its board of directors. Through it all, Don enjoyed life to its fullest. He was an experienced pilot, owning and piloting planes for both business and family travel. Don loved spending time with his family, whether on the lake, family cruises, fishing in Canada and hunting on the Montana wheat ranch. Don and Valerie also enjoyed cruising the world with friends and a bit of the risk/reward offered in Las Vegas. He continuously extended a helping hand to those in need, most generously supporting friends, family, his church, Marquette University Law and Dental Schools, and his community. We wish to thank his caregivers Andrea, Melanie, Cheryl, Karen and Melida, Dr. Mark Chelmowski, and his hospice nurse Lori, for their extraordinary support and thoughtfulness in helping Don over many months. Visitation will be held at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Oconomowoc, on Saturday, September 30, from 10:00 am until the Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00 pm. Eulogies will be starting at approximately 12:45 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Shorehaven, Salvation Army, and St. Jerome Catholic Church.