Nancy Marie McDonald (nee Fitzgerald) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 9, 1930, and passed away near her home in Chapin, South Carolina, on June 18, 2023. She lived a long and wonderful life, and is lovingly remembered by family and friends alike. As a young girl, a severe bout with typhoid fever helped to forge her strong character and zest for life. Sent to her grandmother's country home to recuperate, she developed an abiding love for the natural world, and fondly remembered the pony her dearly beloved grandmother gave her to ride.
Nancy met Alan McDonald, the love of her life, in high school, and they dated while attending the University of Cincinnati. Following their marriage, they moved many times in a few short years, due to Alan's various Air Force postings and early apprenticeship as a manager for General Electric. Their first longstanding home was in Rome, Georgia, a place that suited her so much that she and Alan dreamed of returning to the South following their subsequent move to Erie, Pennsylvania, where their children graduated from high school.
Nancy developed many abiding friendships throughout these moves, and particularly enjoyed playing bridge and attending garden club meetings with her friends. She had a real gift with plants, famously displaying an array of blooming orchids throughout the year in her home in Chapin, South Carolina, where she moved following Alan's death in 1990. She is also predeceased by her son, Alan McDonald (Roxanne McDonald).
She is survived by son, Michael McDonald (Kristina Shaughnessy) and daughters, Michelle Curry and Allison Taborek. She is also survived by grandchildren: Matthew Curry, Travis Taborek, Tanya Ragain, Melissa Toomey, Alan McDonald, Clare McDonald and David McDonald.
Nancy was a wonderful hostess, and enjoyed visits from her children and grandchildren, sharing the glorious views from her home on Lake Murray. She loved to cook and share her many colorful stories during family dinners. She was truly one of a kind, an indomitable force of nature whose love and presence will be forever missed.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.caughmanchapin.com for the McDonald family.
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