Caitlin Rose McDonald, a 2018 South Side High School graduate, dies at 18

Caitlin Rose McDonald, 18, of Rockville Centre died on July 14 from injuries sustained in a jet skiing accident, just two weeks before her 19th birthday.

Caitlin graduated South Side High School in 2018. She was to begin her sophomore year at Loyola University in Maryland, where she was the recipient of a Loyola Presidential Scholarship.

A talented trumpet player, Caitlin had a deep love of music that informed all aspects of her life. She was in South Side High School’s Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble and Concert Orchestra. She performed in the orchestra for South Side musical productions each year she was in high school.

Caitlin also received the prestigious Gold Award from the Girl Scouts for a project she created, “Little Maestros,” which incorporated music into the lives of children in the community.

She is survived by her parents, Christopher and Joanna, brother, Liam, and grandmother, Shirley Bryant. She also leaves behind aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, her boyfriend, Michael Dotzler, and his family.

Services for Caitlin were held at Thomas A. Glynn And Son Funeral Home on July 18. A funeral mass was held at St. Agnes Cathedral on July 19, followed by a ceremony at Holy Rood Cemetery on Old Country Road in Westbury.

In lieu of flowers, the McDonalds are accepting donations for a memorial scholarship to be “warded to South Side High School students who share Caitlin’s love of music and her commitment to community service, and who embody her exceptional character,” the GoFundMe page reads.

To donate, send a check to The Caitlin Rose McDonald Memorial Fund at LICF c/o The Long Island Community Foundation, 900 Walt Whitman Rd., Suite 205, Melville, NY 11747 or visit