Sydney Joanne Brown Mcdonald

Sydney Joanne Brown McDonald, 63, of Ridgeland, S.C. died on January 4, 2022 after a short illness. She was born in Ridgeland, S.C. on January 6, 1958 to Joseph Warren Brown and Sydney Newlin Brown. She attended Thomas Heyward Academy and the University of South Carolina where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education before marrying her husband, Dan Martin McDonald, in 1989.

Joanne worked primarily in the legal field, first in Atlanta, Georgia, and then in Beaufort, South Carolina. She was a Legal Assistant and Court Reporter to the Master in Equity in Beaufort, S.C. for many years and served as a Magistrate Judge in Jasper County, S.C. from 2005 until her death. She was dedicated to her judicial duties and cared very much about her role as a public servant.

Joanne loved her family deeply, as they loved her. She had a very close circle of lifelong friends. She was appreciated for her quick wit and her strong desire to help others. She loved the beach, was an excellent cook, and had a wonderful sense of humor.

She was predeceased by her husband and parents, and is survived by her son, Dan Martin McDonald, Jr., a sister, Paula Brown Howell (Herb) of Lexington, S.C., a niece, Linsy Howell, a nephew, Trey Howell, two great nephews and many cousins.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Grahamville Cemetery in Ridgeland, S.C.