Ida Rae McDonald Obituary in Ferndale at Wildflower Funeral Concepts

Obituary For Ida Rae McDonald

You could hear her laughing from the room next door. Ida Rae’s smile was as bright and cheerful as her trademark colorful, large beads she often wore. Ida Rae never met a stranger and most definitely left a positive mark on this world.

Born in Bellingham to E.J. “Shorty” and Lorena Bellingar, Ida Rae grew up beside Cornwall Park, riding horses, ice skating, and collecting dolls. After graduating from Bellingham High School in 1956, she studied music education at Western Washington University, later teaching music and piano. As a young woman with a beautiful voice, she was accepted to perform with the Lawrence Welk Show, though her parents did not like the idea of her “running off to Hollywood.” Music was a constant part of her life: Ida Rae always loved singing in church and couldn’t pass up an empty piano bench.

She met Doug McDonald on a blind date, and he became the love of her life. They married after just a few months (1964) and were devoted partners for more than 60 years. Together they had two children (Bryce and Neil) and were partners in business, too. They built McDonald’s Book Exchange, with multiple Seattle-area stores and a wholesale operation, and co-authored a ski guide to Washington State. It was Ida Rae who led the charge to open one of the region’s first Ski Exchanges. She did it all, from staffing to equipment to accounting and marketing.

Ida Rae faced a debilitating diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) as a young mother and the devastating loss of her son Bryce when he was just 37. She had known grief before — her older brother Jerry died when she was just seven. And for an extended period of her childhood, illness kept her from attending school. But Ida Rae’s steady faith in God and her remarkable positivity carried her through every hardship. “Bellingar’s never give up!” she would say — and she meant it.

As the family was growing, Ida Rae and Doug lived for one year in Northern California, but spent most of their time residing in Mercer Island, Bellevue and Sammamish. The family loved their ski weekends at Ski Acres, summer trips on the “EIEIO” boat to Orcas Island, and cheering on the Sonics.

In their later years, Doug and Ida Rae could be found traveling the small towns of Washington State, selling books and maps wholesale to small convenience stores and other accounts. The duo was always together and made friends wherever they went. As Doug has often joked, “They tolerate me, but everyone loves Ida Rae.”

She was small in stature, loved all flowers, Orcas sunsets, and chocolate in any form. “Taste-a-bite” Ida Rae loved to steal a small bit of dessert. When excited, she’d exclaim “Oh my my!” When moved, she roared a long and forceful “Aaaamen!” And she often called friends and family just to say, “I have something important to tell you: I’ll love you forever and ever.”

When her son Neil and his wife Kathy moved back to the Seattle area and had Ian and Elise, Ida Rae was overjoyed to sing to her grandchildren. In the early 1990s, she and Doug moved permanently to Orcas Island, where the family had spent their happiest summers. She threw herself into island life — the Episcopal Church, the Lions Club, the Senior Center, and Sportsman Camp — and was loved deeply by her community. Ida Rae died of natural causes at age 87, surrounded by family and friends on her beloved island.

Ida Rae is survived by her husband Doug, son Neil, daughter-in-law Kathy, grandchildren Ian and Elise, and David Wellman. She is preceded in death by son Bryce and her brother Jerry.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Orcas Island Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Saturday, August 29, at 1:30 PM with a reception following. The service will be available on YouTube Live (https://www.youtube.com/live/k4ctDeIS6jM?si=9jvnLTZqMISwoQbe - link available at the church website) to watch live or the recording later. Please kindly RSVP for the service.

Ida Rae’s ashes will be interred at the Bayview Cemetery in Bellingham and scattered in her favorite places, including Orcas Island. Donations in Ida Rae’s memory may be made to the Orcas Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Orcas Lions Club, the MS Society of Washington, or the LymeLight Foundation.

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