Penny Patricia MacDonald

Penny Patricia MacDonald passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones in her Portland, Oregon, home on a beautiful spring morning on Saturday, June 1st, 2019. Penny was the eldest daughter of two children born to Robbie and Betty Robinson and the loving, big sister to Susan. Penny was born October 11, 1937 and grew up in South East Portland where she attended Richmond Grade School and Franklin High School. It was at Franklin High School, where she met and fell in love with her husband of 62 years, Corwin “Jim” MacDonald. Penny had a deep love of children and wanted a big family. Soon after she married, they welcomed the first of five children.

The first years of Penny and Jim’s young marriage were spent in different parts of Portland as Jim entered the sheet metal trade as an apprentice where he continued until he took over his father’s business Mac’s Radiator in 1962. The family soon moved to a home in North East Portland to raise their growing family. Penny worked tirelessly raising their family and helping Jim turn the home into what was always a favorite and inviting place for family, friends and many of the neighborhood kids to spend long summer days.

Penny enjoyed tennis and always seemed to find time each week to play for many years. She also enjoyed spending weekends and holidays at the family’s cabin on Mt. Hood surrounded by her kids and their families, long winter vacations in the Palm Desert sun, sleeping-in as much as possible and cooking the best Sunday roast, which was tradition after every Sunday morning meeting.

Family was everything to Penny and her deep faith was a source of inspiration to many and her tender, kind heart was known to all that knew her.

A true Lady of much strength and courage, she and Jim did all they could to ensure the comfort and happiness of their first born, “Jeffie”, whom they cared for in their home until his passing at the age of 59. Penny was also a source of comfort to the family upon the early and sudden passing of her middle son Stephen, consoling others through the difficult time after losing a loved one. A caregiver throughout all her life, Penny made the decision that she wasn’t going to be one that needed taken care of and her easy, beautiful and contagious smile will be remembered and missed by all that new her.

She is survived by her daughters Lisa Burson (Rob), Diana Debray, Son Curtis MacDonald (Jackie) Daughter-in-law Renee MacDonald, 11 Grandchildren and 8 Great-Grandchildren, her sister Susan Cook (Charles) and many extended family and friends. Proceeding Penny in passing was her husband Jim, and her sons Jeffery MacDonald and Stephen MacDonald.

A service will be held at Sunset Hills Memorial Park on June 7, 2019 at 4:00.