Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Colombie britanique for funeral details
Maria McDonald
Obituary
Obituary for Maria McDonald
July 28, 1942 – October 15, 2024
Maria McDonald, née Melvin, died peacefully at home in Vancouver surrounded by her family. She leaves behind her beloved husband of 59 years, Michael McDonald of Vancouver; daughter Tricia McDonald and son-in-law Spike Kenny of Kitchener; son Mick McDonald and daughter-in-law Anne Woolstencroft and grandchildren Mico McDonald and Michael McDonald Jr. of Kitchener; siblings John (Tessa) Melvin of San Francisco, Edith Hardwick of Middlebury, Connecticut, and Patricia Melvin of New York City; brother-in-law Brian McDonald of Fort Myers, Florida; and a large extended family and many friends from around the world, especially in Vancouver and Waterloo. Predeceased by her parents William and Eileen, and brothers William Jr. and Jerome.
Maria was born in New York City in 1942, the third of six children, and grew up in Ardsley-on-Hudson New York where she had many friends and was very active in sports. She was a graduate of Noroton Sacred Heart, a private independent Catholic preparatory school in Greenwich, Connecticut.
In 1960 she attended St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, where she met and fell in love with Michael, both of them aged 18. She then went to Roosevelt Hospital School of Nursing in New York City, became a registered nurse, and worked at large hospitals in NYC, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.
After a long engagement, Maria and Michael were married in 1965. In 1969, Maria and Michael and their two young children moved to Waterloo, Ontario where Michael had taken a position in the Philosophy Department at the University of Waterloo. There they raised their family and built lifelong friendships with a wonderful community of people. Maria was an active member of the local Weavers Loft, and became a wonderful cook, and hosted many delightful dinner parties. She was well known in Waterloo for her culinary herb garden at the front of the house.
In 1990 Maria and Michael moved to Vancouver where Michael established the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics at the University of British Columbia. Maria was instrumental in welcoming graduate students and visiting professors and their families to the CAE and establishing the open atmosphere that become one of the Centre’s hallmarks. The pair built a new community of very dear friends and fell in love with Canada’s west coast, remaining there into retirement. Maria was very active in the Faculty Women’s Club at UBC and took a particular interest in welcoming newcomers to the group. She was brave and steadfast in her effort to assure human rights are respected at her home in Harbour Cove.
Maria was a truly generous person, always giving of herself to support her husband, family and friends. She was very creative, enjoyed weaving and painting and inventing delicious recipes. She loved spending time with her family, savoured good wine and food, was always curious and interested in learning new things, and never stopped marvelling at the beauty of the world. We miss and remember her beautiful smile and sense of humour and ability to enjoy life and find the best in any situation, even when life presented real challenges. Her love for her family was enormous, and to her very last moments, her focus was on our well-being.
There will a celebration of life on Saturday, November 30. Please contact the family directly if you would like to attend in person or online.
Memorial Donations
Maria requested that any memorial donations be made to Médecins Sans Frontières:
2024
Death notice for the town of: Vancouver, Province: Colombie britanique
death notice Maria McDonald 2024
obituaries notice Maria McDonald 2024
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Maria McDonald 2024 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
