Donald R. Carmody, founder and long-time principal at St. Louis-based law firm Carmody MacDonald P.C., died peacefully on December 19, 2021, from cancer. He was 79 years old. Don is survived by his wife Pat, three sons, three grandchildren, and countless close personal friends.
“We are deeply saddened by Don’s passing. He will be greatly missed by everyone at our firm as well as his many friends and clients,” said Jerry Carmody, Don’s brother and law partner. “In addition to being a great lawyer and mentor, Don built the firm by cultivating personal relationships and forming lasting friendships. He greatly influenced the culture of unity and dedication to excellence that is the core of our firm’s identity today.”
Don founded Carmody MacDonald in 1981 with Leo MacDonald, Sr., Jack Hilton, and Tim Wolf. Since its founding, and with Don’s leadership, the firm has grown to become one of the largest single-office law firms in St. Louis with 85 employees, including 55 attorneys.
Don received his Bachelor of Science degree from Spring Hill College in 1964 and his law degree in 1967 from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He concentrated his practice in business law, banking and finance, and real estate. He served as lead counsel in many complicated real estate transactions and was the lead litigator in a variety of trial and appellate court cases. For over a decade, Don appeared on the list of Best Lawyers in America and in 2018 he received the inaugural ICON Award from Missouri Lawyers Weekly in recognition of his exemplary career and longstanding commitment to the Missouri legal community.
Don served as vice chairman of a Missouri banking corporation and was a Past Chairman of the Bar Association’s Legal Issues Affecting the Disabled Committee. In the early 1980s, he received the St. Louis Grand Jury Good Citizenship Award for assisting police in apprehending a hit-and-run drunk driver who had struck a pedestrian.
He had a passion for serving his church and for helping families. He served as an Ambassador with St. Louis Healthy Families and as a board member of the Missouri Family Policy Council. Don was also a member and Past President of Legatus, an international association of high-level Catholic business leaders and laypersons exploring the intersection of faith and business as they live their Catholic identity.
Outside of law and serving the community, he was honored to be inducted into the Chaminade College Preparatory School Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 for his outstanding achievements as a student-athlete.
For more information on Carmody MacDonald, visit www.carmodymacdonald.com.