Family, friends pay tribute to Ballarat’s Jason McDonald

Family has paid tribute to a Ballarat larrikin, son and brother who died in a crash, as they hold out hope of bringing his body home to South Australia.

A Ballarat prankster and former South Australian footballer told his mum he wanted to come home just hours before he crashed into a tree and died.

Jason McDonald, 32, was killed on Friday October 22 after the car he was driving struck a tree in Tylden.

His mother, Ruth McElroy, said he had phoned her hours earlier saying he wanted to visit her in South Australia as soon as the borders reopened.

Now his family are raising funds to bring his body back home to South Australia.

Ms McElroy said her son was “just Jason” and what you saw is what you got.

“Jason was a comedian, always pranking someone in the family,” she said.

“He was always trying to make someone laugh. No one would ever say a bad word about him. He had lots of friends and got along with everyone.

“We are going to miss him a lot.

“We all loved him.”

Mr McDonald, who was one of five children, grew up in Ballarat before moving to South Australia with his mother and returning home to Victoria three years ago.

Jason McDonald.

Ms McElroy said her son was someone who always tried to make the best out of a bad situation.

She said her son had once called her while he was in an ambulance, laughing,

“Jason called me and said he was in the back of an ambulance and I thought he was joking,” she said.

“He said he would even put the paramedic on the phone to me and I thought it could be anyone. But he eventually sent me a photo and there he was.”

But for all the laughs he provided, Mr McDonald had a sensitive side, according to his youngest sister Renee.

“He was the glue of the family,” she said.

“I could always go to him whenever I needed to chat even if I wasn’t seeing him face-to-face.

“He meant the world to me and understood everything I was going through.”

Jason McDonald.

Mr McDonald was also a talented footballer and basketballer.

His former club Torrens Valley in South Australia said he would be missed.

“It is with a heavy heart to let the Torrens Valley FC family know that past junior and senior player, Jason McDonald, passed away last night,” the social media post said.

“Jase came back to us when we really needed him in 2018.

“Rest in peace Jason.”

You can donate to the family’s GoFundMe here.