Theressa Gonzell McDonald

Theressa Gonzell Carter was born April 7, 1922 in Jacksonville, Texas to Reverend Clarence Horace Carter and Minnie Mark Carter. Theressa was the fifth of seven children. In 1938, Theressa graduated from Emmit Scott High School in Tyler, Texas. She went on to attend Texas College. In her second year of college she married Ralph Allen and two children were born to this union, William Lafayette and Shirley Jeanne. In 1951, she pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Gamma Epsilon Chapter. Theressa graduated from Texas College in 1952, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree. Although Theressa and Ralph ended their union, they remained lifelong friends. In 1955, Theressa married Nathaniel "Dutt" Mc Donald in Seattle, Washington. They would remain happily wed until his passing on March 9, 1999. They had two daughters, Toni Maria and Terri Lynn. Sadly, in 1982, they would suffer the loss of their youngest daughter, Terri Lynn, to Sickle Cell disease. Professionally, Theressa was a credentialed substitute teacher and retired from the United States Postal Service in 1985. Theressa was an original member of the Los Angeles Chapter of National Epicureans, Incorporated, a social and civic organization, which she helped to found in 1979. She was Vice President and later President of the Los Angeles Chapter. As part of her charitable endeavors, Theressa was a proud sponsor of World Vision Ethiopia and cherished the yearly photos she received of the children she sponsored whose lives she helped to change. Theressa was a tennis fanatic in the truest sense of the word, often staying up into the wee hours of the morning to watch tournaments live on the other side of the world. She also took every opportunity to spend time in Las Vegas or, as we would jokingly call it, her second home. Theressa treasured her travels to visit those she loved, who included her beloved daughter, Jeanne, her sisters, aunts, many nieces and nephews and her dearest friends. Theressa is survived by her son, Lafayette Allen, daughter Dr. Shirley Jeanne Allen, daughter Toni Mc Donald-Tabor, son-in-law, David Tabor, her sister Mrs. Johnnie Kelley and a host of other adored relatives.