Gillian S. MacDonald

July 21, 1935 – July 23, 2023

Gillian died peacefully on July 23, 2023 surrounded by close family and the love of dear friends. She had just turned 88. She was the best daughter, sister, aunt, godmother, wife, friend, and colleague one could have. She was fiercely loyal and of high integrity, generous and caring, and a great confidant. She had a terrific dry wit and intelligence, making her a lot of fun to be around.

Gillian was born in Montreal in 1935, where her French father, Michel Seymour Tripier, and her Scottish Canadian mother, Margaret Weir Wright, met and married. The family moved to Greenwich CT before World War II, her mother returning briefly to Montreal in 1937 for the birth of her beloved sister Suzanne. The two sisters were close their whole lives. Their father left for Europe to fight for the Free French as a marine for the duration of the war. In 1948, his postwar job took them to Casablanca, Morocco, via Paris, then Dakar, Senegal, and again back to Casablanca. In that first visit to Paris, Gillian met her French grandmother Countess Hallez, whom in later years she took care of until her death. In Dakar the sisters attended a convent and the French Lycée. Upon graduation, Gillian left for Paris where she was joined by her mother and sister to attend a finishing school, after which she joined La femme Secretaire to become an executive secretary. Gillian started her secretarial career in Casablanca at Auto Hall. She returned to Paris with her parents and took a job as the bilingual executive secretary to the publisher of the International Herald Tribune newspaper, where her executive skills earned her the informal title “Number 3.” After the Herald Tribune, Gillian worked for Flaminaire and an English bank. In 1978, she married the love of her life Robert T. MacDonald in Paris where they met. The couple moved to Stamford, CT where Gillian brought her skills and gifts to nonprofits for underprivileged children as a volunteer. She devoted herself to Bob’s son Michael, who had downs syndrome. Bob and Gillian became patrons of the US Special Olympics. They also picked up the tennis racket in Stamford and enjoyed playing singles and doubles until their late years. Tennis became a passion for Gillian; her last watched match was the Wimbledon 2023 final, the week of her passing. Bob and Gillian fell in love with the beach town of Sarasota in the early 1990s, while visiting her closest Canadian cousin Diana Wright and husband Ian Bovey snow birding on Siesta Key. They eventually built their dream home in the Prestancia TPG complex. They were a popular couple and loved to entertain and enjoyed all that Sarasota had to offer: the theatre, opera, weather and beaches, good food, and of course playing tennis with friends. After her husband’s devastating death in 2000, Gillian slowly rebuilt her life by joining two book clubs, starting a French speaking group, volunteering at the Democratic Party, and making many new and dear friends along the way. We shall all miss you, dear Gillian. You were a true lady.

Gillian will be buried on Friday September 1st 2023 in the Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Rd 72, Sarasota, FL 34241 next to her husband in a ceremony. A visitation will be on September 1st from 11am to 12 pm at Robert Toale and Sons - Wiegand Chapel at 7454 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorial contributions to the U.S. Special Olympics at https://support.specialolympics.org/a/give-in-your-state and the non-profit Domus Kids at https://www.domuskids.org/the-need.

For online tributes, please visit www.rtsfunerals.com or www.wiegandbrothers.com