Mary Louise Donaldson

Mary Louise Donaldson was born on December 29, 1932 to Edward and Lucy Memory at their home in the Urbandale community of Dallas, Texas . She grew up in there and attended public schools, graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School. Her spiritual life began there as well when she was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. After attending the Executive Secretarial School and going to work for Proctor & Gamble, she married her childhood sweetheart Van Allan Donaldson in 1952 on Van's twentieth birthday.

Mary was a devoted mother. She and Van raised their four children in the Pleasant Grove community. After the youngest graduated from high school, they moved to Crandall, Texas. Mary retired from the City of Dallas as a legal secretary and entered two decades of volunteer public service.

Mary, a lifelong Episcopalian, was a true servant leader in her church and community. She taught Sunday School at two parishes, was a member of Daughters of the King and served on the Vestry several times. At the time she passed away, she was the Senior Warden of Our Merciful Savior Episcopal Church in Kaufman, Texas. She was recognized for her service and leadership on her 80th birthday by The Right Reverend James Stanton, Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.

Mary was a five term City Council member in the City of Crandall and served as the Mayor Pro Tem. She served on the Economic Development Committee, Leadership Kaufman and was instrumental in the building of the gazebo and park space in downtown Crandall. It is named The Gazebo in Mary's Garden in her honor. The Crandall Chamber of Commerce honored her with Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Since that time, she has been an active volunteer at the Kaufman County Children's Advocacy Center.

Mary passed away on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at the age of 84. Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years and her first born son, Anthony Allan. She is survived by her daughter, Lisa DeWitt and husband, Glenn; son Philip and his wife Sylvia, son Paul Donaldson and his wife, Alice. She is survived by five grand children: RT Bennett and his wife Jessica, Mary Catherine Gest and her husband Ryan Gest, Rachel Donaldson, Thomas Donaldson and Patrick Donaldson; great grandsons, William Jackson Bennett and Jacob Samuel Bennett. She was greatly loved by her nieces and nephews in Virginia, many neighbors and church friends.

You may honor Mary's legacy of service by making a donation to the Kaufman County Children's Advocacy Center or her beloved home parish Our Merciful Savior Episcopal Church.