The day couldn’t have gone any better for Donnie McKillop. The head baseball coach at Loomis Chaffee School presided over his team’s 10-0 victory over Kingswood Oxford in the Founders League Tournament semifinal on May 21.
Shortly after, McKillop received a text message from his mom, Patty, offering congratulations on the win. That would be the last time he would hear from her.
Donald and Patty McKillop left their Poway, Calif., home where Donnie grew up, and were on their way in an RV to the East Coast to visit their son, his wife Katy, and four grandchildren. They also planned to watch Loomis’ Founders League championship matchup with Avon Old Farms.
But not long after that text message was sent, both Donald, age 63, and Patty, age 61, were killed in a road accident near San Simon, Ariz., a town east of Tucson. Donnie McKillop was given the news by local authorities in Windsor, Conn., early the next morning.
