Longtime custom integration industry veteran John D. MacDonald Jr. unexpectedly passed away on February 10 at the age of 63. The news was shared in a statement by the Morris Tait Associates LinkedIn account. John spent the last 15 years of his career with Morris Tait, most recently as their President—a role he stepped into in January 2023.
John’s career in custom AV started in early 1994, when he became the store manager for Audio Den—a high-end boutique HiFi store based in Nesconset, NY, on Long Island. After two years in that role, he became the VP of LP Sales, his first foray into the world of the manufacturers’ rep. He spent about a decade there, before moving over to Novidor & Firestone for a little over five years, and then ultimately landing at Morris Tait in 2011.
John’s run at Morris Tait began as a regional sales manager before moving up to VP of Sales and then President.
“The team at Morris Tait will miss John more than words can express,” the company shared in its post. “To us, John was more than a leader, he was a cherished friend. With over four decades of experience in the CI industry, John’s expertise was a cornerstone sought by our customers and manufacturers alike. John’s infectious enthusiasm for innovation inspired everyone he met. His generosity and spirit extended far beyond the workplace—he was always ready with a kind word or thoughtful advice.”
Those sentiments were reiterated in countless comments on that post and many others shared by his colleagues over the past few days.
“The Morris Tait team was the first rep firm that I dealt with as a vendor in my Sony days. Being local at the time, I spent a lot of time with you all. I learned a lot from you all and John was a huge part of that,” Jayson Savage, Western Regional Business Manager for ProSource, commented. “Becoming friends with all of you that has lasted beyond a working relationship is one of the best outcomes. John was always someone I looked forward to catching up with and one of my role models for how the business works. … I will miss our conversations.”
Morris Tait requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in John’s name to the Food Share Ventura County, which can be found here.
