Obituary for Bret Allen McDonald
May 1, 1989 – May 13, 2022

Bret was always an adventurer, like a slippery fish that was hard to keep hold of. From the time he was a teenager he was trying to go places that were too far away for someone his age to venture. I remember his 18th birthday. I was in the kitchen preparing for his party with our immediate family when he walked in and announced, “I’m a man now so I’m moving out!” He had his things packed and off he went….and the long journey began.

Bret was fearless as a young man. He experienced more than most people do that live to be twice his age. He jumped trains from Northern California all the way to Southern California. He hiked the West Coast from West to East and from North to South. He spent months living off-grid with his girlfriend. They lived in the Redwoods and the mountains throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon. He knew how to survive off the land and little else. He surfed, he skateboarded, he rode motor bikes, and drove cars fast. He should have met his demise hundreds of times throughout his life, but he somehow managed to dodge disaster.

Bret lived in at least six states that I know of, maybe more. He would disappear for months at a time with no cell phone. Then out of the blue I would get a phone call and he would say “Hey Mom it’s me, Bret”, and I felt as though I had been holding my breath the entire time he was away.

Bret struggled with a mental illness that we weren’t aware of for a few years until it became impossible to hide. As time passed it worsened and created many problems and obstacles for him. I would reel him in and get him medicated and then off he would go again, until the wheels fell off and he would reach out to me for help. Numerous plane tickets, bus tickets, road trips, and Uber would get him home where he belonged. The exhaustion from living on the streets consumed him. He spent a couple of years living on and off the streets of San Francisco. He always tried to return there until his last stay in The City. He decided after that experience to never leave our family unit again.

Bret had changed. So after finally getting the correct medication, the past year he had progressed and was beginning to live his life more fully again. He was happy and enjoyed spending time with Ziyah and his family. He had gotten a little dog he named Hope that was a great companion to him. He had hopes and dreams and smiled a lot. Bret loved giving numerous hugs a day to his family. He told me he loved me every time he saw me, and he lived on my property in an RV so I saw him several times a day. We all absolutely adored him.

Bret had such a kind heart and had become very docile and peaceful. All he wanted was to be surrounded by people that loved him, good friends, and a girlfriend. His mental illness didn’t define him, but it shaped him into the beautiful and kind soul he had become.

We will miss Bret more than words can express and our lives will never be the same. He will always be with us in our memories and in spirit.

Bret is predeceased by his sister Tessa Whittenberg, his nephew Chase Goodman and his grandparents Jay and Floy Blaylock whom he loved immensely. Bret also had a daughter that died shortly after birth, Luna McDonald.

He is survived by his mother, Angela Blaylock Snyder, his sister Danielle McDonald and his sister Michelle Whittenberg. His Aunt Jennifer Phillips Rich and Uncle Clinton Moles. His nephew Ziyah Alii and his nieces Alexis McDonald and Anaya McDonald. He is also survived by his Grandmother Mable Moles.

A memorial service for Bret will be held at Weir’s Mortuary Chapel in Crescent City, California on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 @ 3:00 pm.