Marcelene Esther McDonald

June 17, 1925 – February 4, 2024

Marcelene Esther Eberle was born in Pontiac, MI on June 17, 1925, to Ruth (Carlson) and Raymond Eberle. Marcy had a wonderful childhood and remembers loving to play with her dog Mickey. But when she was eight years old, she and her mom and dad were in a car accident which instantly killed her father. Her mother later married Eddie Elfstrom, and they gave Marcy a little brother named Billy. Marcy’s best friend in high school was Barbara (who later married Hank Lahousse), whose stepmother Margie owned a restaurant on a nearby lake. Marcy and Barbara spent several happy teenage summers waitressing there, during which time Marcy also met other lifelong friends Donna, Dorothy (who married Wally During) and Merle (who married Bob Hedke). After high school, Marcy went to work at Michigan Bell Telephone Company as an operator. She loved working at the telephone company and walking down fashionable Michigan Ave. dressed to the nines in stylish dresses and high heels. Every Friday she and her co-workers would head down to the local bar to cash their paychecks, and it was there that she met Keith McDonald, who had been building houses in CA with his dad but took a break to come to Detroit to attend the wedding of his friend Bob LeFever. Beautiful red-headed Marcy and handsome dark-haired Keith fell in love and later married on Aug. 7, 1948 at St. Raymond Church in Detroit, with a reception at Rotunda Inn in Pine Lake and honeymoon at Higgins Lake. The newlyweds moved into Ruth’s spare bedroom in Detroit until they could afford to buy a small brick house in nearby Redford Township. In the coming years Marcy and Keith bore three children---Patricia, Carolyn, and Stewart ---and acquired a miniature schnauzer named Heidi. The McDonalds attended St. Hillary’s Catholic Church, where Marcy was a member of the Altar Society and Keith served as an usher, and made many good friends on their block and beyond. In 1959 Keith was offered an engineering job abroad. Marcy was up for the adventure, and so the family moved to Oadby, a small village outside of Leicester, England, for two years, and then to Pully, a suburb of Lausanne, Switzerland, for another two years. In 1965 they returned home and settled down in Union Lake, Michigan, along with their beloved standard poodle Fillette. In 1971 Keith’s job took them to Roselle, Illinois, and they later retired in New Port Richey and then Spring Hill, FL. There Marcy and Keith enjoyed some of the happiest years of their lives, taking cruises, going on golf outings, and socializing with a wide circle of new friends. Unfortunately this happy time was marred by tragedy when their nine year old grandson Ryan was kIlled by a drunk driver while riding his bike. In 2017 Keith and Marcy moved out of their home and into Salishan, a nearby independent living center. In 2018 they relocated to Denver for health reasons and to be closer to the girls, and lived for several years with Carolyn. Marcy lost the love of her life when, after 71 years of marriage, Keith passed away in 2019 at the age of 97.

Marcy was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt and friend. Everyone who knew her loved her. Whereas Keith was the bread winner and disciplinarian of the family, Marcy was always the kind-hearted, sweet mom who unconditionally loved her children and always forgave every sin. Whenever they moved around the world, it was always Marcy who first made new friends in the neighborhood and beyond. When her brother Billy got sick, she immediately headed up north to Detroit to take care of him for weeks until he died. Over the years she enjoyed sewing, ceramics, Slenderella, pinochle, bowling, golfing, cross-word puzzles, travelling, Lawrence Welk, and Dancing with the Stars. Throughout her life she was very close to her dear mother, whom Keith called “the best mother in law in the world”. Marcy was an excellent housekeeper and cook who prepared all the meals while the kids were growing up, but was nonetheless thrilled to become a lady of leisure in their retirement years when Keith took over the kitchen to engage in his newfound passion of cooking. She had growing aches and pains in her later years, but she never complained. Even as dementia crept up late in life, she could still sing the words to many of her favorite songs from the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. She passed peacefully into God’s arms on February 4, 2024 at Sunrise Senior Living at Cherry Creek with Patty, Carolyn, and Stewart by her side.

Marcy is survived by her three children Patty McDonald (Jeff Fuechsel), Carolyn McDonald, and Stewart McDonald (Karla); granddaughter Karie; grand stepsons Jeffrey II and Nick Fuechsel, and great-granddaughter Kylie Frazier. She is predeceased by her husband Keith McDonald, brother William Elfstrom, and grandson Ryan McDonald. She will be laid to rest next to Keith at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

“"In life, we loved you dearly, in death we love you still. In our hearts you hold a place, no one else will ever fill." Unknown