Maria Ann McDonald

Maria Ann McDonald (nee Parran), 75, of North Potomac, MD, passed away on August 19, 2023. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Robert “Bob” Allen McDonald, Sr; her three children, Christina, Robert “Bobby” (Fernando), and Timothy “Tim” (Monica); and three grandchildren, Natalie, Cora, and Robert Javier “Javi.”

Maria was born to Stella Stivala and Joseph Parran in 1948. She was raised in the Bronx, New York and later graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. She received a B.A. in History from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City and a M.A. in History from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Maria had a lifelong passion for history. She loved teaching high school social studies and was a teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. Her passion for history extended into retirement where she was a docent at Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens in Washington D.C. Throughout her life, she enjoyed many travels, both domestic and foreign, with her husband Bob. Her greatest role, however, was being a mother to her three children. Later in life, this joy was multiplied when she became a grandmother (Grandma and Nonna) to her three grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 23rd at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church, 14139 Seneca Rd., Darnestown, MD, with visitation prior at 9:15 a.m. Interment will be on a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) at pancan.org/donate, or through the mail at 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.