Francis "Frank" J. McDonough

Francis (Frank) J. McDonough, age 90, passed away peacefully April 20, 2024 due to natural causes. He was born September 29, 1933 in Philadelphia, PA. Frank married the love of his life and best friend Betty,on June 21, 1956. You can hardly think of Frank without Betty (deceased April 8, 2023) as they were a team and had a wonderful life together.

Frank, Betty and their three children moved to Staunton in 1964 from Medford Lakes, NJ for Frank’s job as purchasing manager at Dunham-Bush in Harrisonburg. In the late 1960’s he tried his hand at life insurance but found it took too much time away from a young family and after a couple of years tried his hand in the automotive business. In 1975 he purchased what is now McDonough Toyota, still a thriving business today owned and operated by his son Steve.

Frank was strong in his Catholic faith, having served various volunteer roles at St Francis of Assisi. Family was always a top priority followed by an incredible network of friends both local and afar. Family events were the standard, attending and entertaining at every opportunity. One cannot mention family without including pets, he had a special place for their 4-legged children. He cared deeply for all pets, even including them in his advertising for Toyota. He volunteered and supported the SPCA his entire adult life.

Frank was very proud of his Irish heritage and found a calling supporting the Frontier Culture Museum which included an exhibit from the homeland. He served on their Board and Executive Committee for many years. He was a lifetime member at The Country Club of Staunton (Ironwood) and proud to be part of The Charlie Brown gang and Saints and Sinners.

Frank is survived by their three children and spouses, daughter Lynne Smiley and husband Butch, son Steve McDonough and wife Martha, and son Rich McDonough and wife Debbie; seven grandchildren and nine and a half great grandchildren.

Services will be a private family gathering with a celebration of life at McDonough Toyota June 1st from 3:00-6:00. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Augusta Regional SPCA (PO Box 2014 Staunton) or The Legacy at North Augusta (1410 A North Augusta St Staunton) in his memory.

The family would like to give a special SHOUTOUT to two wonderful ladies who were always there-Calli Surber and Ann Smith. Plus, we can’t forget his beloved dog, Oreo; she was always by his side. We also would like to thank the amazing teams at The Legacy, Dr Kerry Alexander and Legacy Hospice. We will be forever grateful for all their help.