LaVerne McDonald

LaVerne Player McDonald was born in Fitzgerald, Georgia, on December 15, 1936. She lived there until the middle of high school when she moved to Petersburg, Virginia to live with her aunt and uncle, Margaret and Alvin Parrish. She graduated from Dinwiddie High School in 1954. After high school she attended Johnston-Willis School of Nursing graduating in 1957. She passed her nursing boards with very high marks was then employed at Petersburg General Hospital.

In December 1957, she met 1st Lt Thomas F. McDonald (Mac) at an Army Christmas party as a blind date. He would become her husband in April 1958 and in June 1958 they were stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. In the two years they were stationed in Germany their two daughters, Robin and Julie, were born. The family of four was then stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia, and she returned to work at Petersburg General Hospital. While at Fort Lee, they had their first son, Thomas (Tom). Two years later they moved to Seoul, South Korea where their second son, Jeff, was born. During her time in Korea, LaVerne worked at the Red Cross Blood Bank, learned how to paint and play the piano. Because of the extra help available in Korea, Mac and LaVerne stayed an extra year for a total of three years. While there she was able to take a well-deserved trip to Japan for sightseeing and shopping. In 1967 the family moved back to Virginia, this time to Colonial Heights, while Mac went to Vietnam for a year. LaVerne spent that time caring for four children, running them to their activities and participating in a local garden club. When Mac returned from Vietnam LaVerne went back to work at Petersburg General Hospital. Mac went to Vietnam once more for a year.

After living in Colonial Heights, Virginia for seven years the family moved to Taipei, Taiwan where they stayed for two years. LaVerne took classes in Chinese flower arranging and Chinese brush painting.

When the family returned to the United States it was to Fayetteville, North Carolina. LaVerne loved to work in the garden and grew roses and azaleas. After two short years they moved to Tehran, Iran.

In December 1978 LaVerne and the four children left Iran, due to the revolution, leaving Mac there. LaVerne established a home in Chester, Virginia while waiting for Mac to return from Iran. She was very strong during this time, finding a place for her and the children to live, getting the children registered in school, documenting all their possessions lost in Iran and waiting for Mac to come home safely.

LaVerne moved again, this time to Miami, Florida where Mac had a job with Eastern Airlines. She worked at Baptist Hospital of Miami for over ten years and was named the Newborn Nursery Nurse of the Year for 1993.

The last move LaVerne made was in August 1993, when she and Mac moved to San Antonio, Texas where she lived until her death. She still traveled though, visiting family in Mississippi, Virginia, and Germany and touring Rome, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Prague.

LaVerne was smart, witty, and artistic and loved gardening. She enjoyed designing flower arrangements, making wreaths, and refinishing/repurposing furniture. Most of all, she loved her family especially her five grandchildren.

Her brother, William Player and sister, Evelyn Murdock of Colonial Heights, Virginia, preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Thomas McDonald, daughters, Robin Hahn and husband, Curtis, Julie Heitzman and husband, David, sons, Thomas McDonald, and Jeff McDonald, daughter-in-law, Anne McDonald and grandchildren, Chris Stutz, Michael Heitzman, Jacob McDonald and Haley McDonald from San Antonio and Evan Heitzman, Fort Hood, Texas.