Violet "Vi" Kline MacDonald

Vi was born January 20, 1932, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Clayton and Flossie (McCombs) Kline. Both parents died while Vi was a teenager and she lived with an aunt and uncle until after finishing high school. She graduated from South Side High School in Fort Wayne. Vi moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she worked as a cashier in a hotel and as a model, and had a bit part in a crowd scene in the 1956 movie, "The Revolt of Mamie Stover," starring Jane Russell and Richard Egan. Vi became the foster daughter of Howard and Irene Branch of Waikiki. In 1956 at a dance, Vi met Herman A. "Mac" MacDonald, Jr., of Massachusetts, a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. On July 28, 1957, Mac and Vi were married in the Chapel of St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral in Honolulu.

As a military wife, Vi traveled extensively with Mac. They lived wherever he was stationed - in Honolulu; Great Lakes, IL; Long Beach, CA; Yokosuka Base, Japan; Camp Pendleton, CA; Binghamton, NY; Dover, NJ; Quantico, VA; Pentagon, Washington DC and Toronto, Canada. Before meeting Vi, Mac served his country on the front line in Korea and, after they were married, in Vietnam 1969-70 as part of the top-secret Studies and Observation Group, "SOG." During this last extremely dangerous tour of duty, Vi kept busy helping people and keeping the home fires burning.

Vi and Mac raised two children, Kevin and Kathleen. Vi was a homeroom mother for her children, both in the United States and Canada, and was active in Parent-Teachers Associations.

Wherever Mac was stationed, Vi became actively involved in military and local civilian life. Vi taught young military men how to plan a personal budget and follow it. She helped pregnant military wives when their husbands were deployed. In 1972, Vi completed the American Red Cross Chapter of Quantico Marines' Nursing Assistance Program. While stationed at Canadian Staff Forces College- In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, she used her training to work with the Canadian Red Cross. She created beautiful cakes for the Marine Birthday Balls. While in Japan, Vi learned a little conversational Japanese and at the 1973 Presidential Inaugural Ball, she was able to speak "in limited Japanese" with the wife of Japan's prime minister.

After Mac's retirement from the Marine Corps, the family moved to Salem, Oregon in August of 1978. Vi continued to assist Mac in his new career as an educator and in all of his other endeavors, while pursuing her own career as a banker and other interests. She worked at Far West Federal Savings and Loan Association for ten years and was their United Way Loan Executive for the Salem and Silverton area in 1980. After the children left home, she returned to college. She graduated from Chemeketa Community College in 1988, as Honor Graduate in Banking and Finance and a member of Phi Theta Kappa. In the 1980's, when Mac started the VFW 661 Uniform Display Museum by donating one of his military uniforms, Vi donated her American National Red Cross uniform. For six years she helped Mac conduct the Memorial Day services at City View Cemetery. In 1994 Vi was Treasurer of Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in West Salem. She held several elected offices in retired military organizations, including Retired Officers Wives Club and the Salem Women's Military League. Vi was Chaplain for the Military Order of World Wars. She wrote the Prayer for the dedication of Oregon's Iraqi-Afghanistan Memorial in Salem in 2007.

A staunch Republican, in 1988 Vi began her political career working as a volunteer for Senator Gene Derfler and became his Campaign Manager in 1990. She remained in that position through his political career - and "all of our Campaigns were positive." Senator Derfler retired as Senate President in 2001. In the late 1990’s Vi worked as the Secretary of the Senate's Office of the Oregon Legislature. In 1998 she was one of sixteen delegates from Oregon to attend the Republican Women's Leaders Forum in Washington, D.C. She was a longtime, loyal member of Capitol City Republican Women, serving as President in 2002 and 2003. She served on many committees of the Oregon Federation of Republican Women. She was an "OFRW" District Director and as Chaplain she wrote the Remembrance Program honoring deceased members. Vi also wrote the Oregon Prayer which was published in the 2008 National Federation of Republican Women's Prayer Book. Vi was a delegate to at least 8 National Federation of Republican Women's Conventions: Seattle, Washington (1999); San Antonio, Texas (2001); Salt Lake City, Utah (2003); Nashville, Tennessee (2005); Palm Springs, California (2007); Orlando, Florida (2009); Kansas City, Missouri (2011);... and Indianapolis, Indiana (2019).

Vi loved animals and welcomed many dogs, and one cat, into the family through the years. In 1994 she was President of the Willamette Valley Humane Society Auxiliary. From 1995 to 1998 she was on the Willamette Valley Humane Society Board of Directors. Her last dog, Joey, moved with her to Capital Manor in Fall of 2021 and made as many friends as Vi before he died the following January.

Vi loved music and sang for many years in the Trinity Choir at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, where she and Mac were parishioners. She was very patriotic and loved reading American History and collecting the biographies of the U.S. Presidents and of their wives. She also loved knitting, genealogy, and baking beautiful cakes.

Vi was a loving, caring, amazing, outgoing and wonderful Wife, Mother and Friend. She was an outgoing "classy lady" with poise and a warm, beautiful smile.

Vi is survived by her two children, Kevin MacDonald and Kathleen Terry, as well as two grandsons.

Vi is predeceased by her parents, foster parents, and brother; and by her beloved husband, Mac, who passed away on December 19, 2022. They had been happily married for 65 years.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Friday, January 31, 2025 at 11:00am, followed by a Graveside Service at Restlawn Memory Gardens at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to the Oregon Humane Society in Salem.