Obituary of Mary Louise McDonald

Mary Louise McDonald, Devoted daughter, loving wife, cherished mother, grandmother and great grandmother, died peacefully on Tuesday, April 23rd as she approached her 98th birthday. Born in Binghamton in 1926 to James and Freda White, the eldest daughter of 5 children, Louise graduated from St. Patrick's High School, attended secretarial school and had already caught the eye of an actual boy next door on Lincoln Ave. - Tom McDonald. Marrying in 1951, Tom then began a long career with IBM. Tom and Louise were inseparable. While raising a family of four children they lived in Hartford, CT, Devon, PA, Chappaqua, NY and London, England. They retired to Boca Raton, FL and eventually moved back home to Binghamton, where they lived for 25 years at 5 Riverside Drive. Gathering countless friends along the way, Louise was the consummate hostess, a Cordon Bleu Chef and dedicated homemaker she always found time for both her family and community. Volunteering for numerous charity organizations, Louise was President of the Northern Westchester Hospital TWIGS. After her children were out of the house, Louise obtained her Real Estate License, became a certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor and later in Binghamton, worked countless volunteer hours at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and was an active member of the (Phelps Mansion) Monday Afternoon Club. After Tom passed, she continued to enjoy her many wonderful friends at #5 with pot luck dinners, yoga, art classes and weekly Bridge games with the "girls". Louise is survived by her loving sister, Rosemarie Haus of Binghamton, daughter Sarah of Paris, France, sons Tom Jr. of Manhattan, Jim and his wife Dawn of John's Island, SC, Bart and his wife Lisa of Sunrise, FL. Also surviving are her grandchildren, Remy and Olivier Van Den Hende, Katie Jo McDonald Gregg, Joseph McDonald, and Sophia McDonald, as well as, three great grandsons and 24 nieces and nephews. Her husband Tom, sister Jean and brothers James & Tommy predeceased her. A Funeral Mass will be offered at St. Patrick's Church in Binghamton on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 11:00 am. Her burial will follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Johnson City. The family will receive friends at J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141 Main Street, Binghamton on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 from 4-6pm. In lieu of Flowers, expressions of sympathy and contributions in Memory of Louise are welcome at Mercy House (mercyhousesoutherntier.com), 212 N McKinley Ave. The Mass will be livestreamed at www.sta-sp.org