PORTLAND — Andrew Michael MacDonald died Sept. 4 following a courageous battle with colon cancer, with his wife by his side.
He was born in Ottawa, Canada, on July 6, 1972, but lived much of his childhood in Bermuda and Saudi Arabia. He returned to Ottawa to attend high school, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in geology from Carleton University, graduating at the top of his class. He then completed graduate studies at the College of Geographic Sciences in Nova Scotia.
It was soon after starting college that he met his future wife, Elizabeth Freeman, on a blind date. They were together from that night on, and married exactly six years after they met, on Oct. 19,1996. The couple had two children, Callum and Amelie.
MacDonald began his career in geographic information systems with the Canadian government, but soon was recruited by Esri, an international mapping company, to work in California. Moving there with his wife one month after being married, MacDonald began what would become an 18-year career with Esri, the last nine of which were spent in Portland.
MacDonald was a world traveler, and loved exploring new places, food and cultures. He and his wife shared their mutual love of travel with their children. He also was an avid history buff. Most of all, his home and heart were with his wife and children.
MacDonald is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; son, Callum; daughter, Amelie; mother, Kathleen; father, John; brother, Bruce, and wife Kris; sister, Jennifer; in-laws, Susan and Cole; sister-in-law, Karen, and husband Corey; sister-in-law, Betty, and husband John; aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, friends and colleagues.
A funeral, followed by an evening celebration of MacDonald’s life, will be held in Portland on Friday, Sept. 12. A memorial celebration will be planned for a later date in Ottawa.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Blue Note Fund at the Colon Cancer Alliance, or to Callum and Amelie’s College Fund.
The family would like to thank the nursing staff at the Maine Center for Cancer Medicine, Maine Medical Center, and the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, as well as Dr. Evans and Dr. Mayo for their care and compassion over that last several years.
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