Paul Michael McDonnell, 44, of Mountain Center, died Friday, Dec. 27, 2002, in Mountain Center.<\/p>\n
He was born March 24, 1958, in Nebraska.<\/p>\n
Mr. McDonnell had worked at the U.S. Forest Service as a Vista Grande Hotshot for 12 years and for the Riverside County Transportation Department for seven years. He also was a farmer and was known as \u201cFarmer Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n
Family and friends said he always had an open door to the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis Rusty Nail Ranch offered produce, eggs and a petting zoo to all inquiring minds,\u201d said a friend. For Idyllwild\u2019s younger students, a highlight of the year was a field trip to the McDonnell\u2019s pumpkin patch, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren enjoyed crafts, creative cooking and life on the farm. Most of the children will remember him for the famous tractor rides he gave.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no need to say that Paul will be sorely missed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Funeral services are at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 26340 Soboba Street in Hemet, with Father Silvio D\u2019Ostilio officiating.<\/p>\n
He is survived by his wife, Mary McDonnell; a son, Michael, 5; a brother, Pat McDonnell of Maryland; two sisters, Reta German of Illinois and Janet Randa of Barstow; and his father in Arizona.<\/p>\n
His mother, Jeanne Rae McDonnell and a sister, Laura Ann McDonnell, preceded him in death.<\/p>\n
In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted for Mary and Michael McDonnell at Guaranty Bank in Idyllwild. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Paul Michael McDonnell, 44, of Mountain Center, died Friday, Dec. 27, 2002, in Mountain Center. He was born March 24, 1958, in Nebraska. Mr. McDonnell had worked at the U.S. Forest Service as a Vista Grande Hotshot for 12 years and for the Riverside County Transportation Department for seven years. He also was a farmer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"amp_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n