Elizabeth Louise McDonald
Elizabeth Louise McDonald
OCEAN PINES — Elizabeth Louise “Betty” McDonald, age 90, died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014, at her home in Ocean Pines.
Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Arthur B. Nalley and Louisa Lecker. She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 62 years, Kenneth Earle “Mac” McDonald, on Oct. 24, 2014. Betty is survived by her children, Mary Beth Clark and her husband John, Anne Lennox and her husband Pat, Jane Brown and her husband Mickey, Kevin McDonald and his wife Laura, and Terri McDonald; 11 grandchildren; and one great granddaughter. She is also survived by a brother-in-law, Carroll McDonald.
Mrs. McDonald served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. She was a member of the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve known as the SPARs, created by a bill signed on Nov. 23, 1942 by our 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt The following quote from former United States Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral J. W. Kimes, at the SPARs 50th Anniversary Commemoration, conveys the sentiment of the wartime years: “More than 10,000 of you set to work showing your eagerness for the war effort, your pride in our nation, and your patriotism in the work you undertook. You paved the way not only for the Coast Guard women of today, but for an entire service of equality and diversity.”
Betty was one of nearly 200 female service members to have the honor and privilege to march directly ahead of the horse drawn carriage carrying President Roosevelt to the White House during his funeral procession in Washington on April 14, 1945.
She received an Honorable Discharge in 1945 after her wartime service was completed and was one of the first female service members to use the benefits of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 known informally as The GI Bill, for higher education. She became the first veteran to enter and graduate from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, finishing in 1949, with a BA degree in Sociology.
In addition to raising a family of five, Betty continued her education and earned the equivalent of her Masters Degree in Elementary Education. She also studied Elementary Arts. Betty was employed for 20 years and retired as a Baltimore City school teacher, during which time she taught elementary level, hearing impaired and was assigned as a home and hospital teacher. She spent a considerable amount of time with orthopedically handicapped children at Mount Washington’s Pediatric Center, formerly known as Happy Hills Hospital and University of Maryland Hospital. She also became quite attached to many young terminally ill children and their families, visiting many in their homes around Baltimore as well as attending their funerals at times. Even in her retirement years, she did hospice volunteer work as well as participating in various Ocean Pines social clubs and church activities.
The family will receive family and friends at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 11211 Beauchamp Rd, Berlin, Md. 21811 on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014 from 10-11 a.m., preceding a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Rev. Joseph MPR Cocucci will officiate.
Following the service, there will be a reception for family and friends at the Knights of Columbus Hall located behind St Luke’s Church, 9903 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, Md. 21842.
Inurnment for both Mr. and Mrs. McDonald will be in Eastern Shore Veteran’s Cemetery in Hurlock, Md. on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation in her memory may be made to Catholic Appeal, using this link www.cdow.org/catholic…catholic–appeal/development-annual-catholic– appeal-how-to-donate/ or Coastal Hospice at the Ocean http://www.coastalhospice.org/
Letters of condolence may be sent via www.burbagefuneralhome.com.