April 25, 2020
McDonald, Marguerite
Our beloved mother, Marguerite K. McDonald, passed away on April 22nd, ending a courageous 12-day struggle with the Covid-19 virus. She faced her final challenge with the same grace, love and courage that she modeled across all facets of her 83 years. She will be forever missed and remembered by the many people she loved and whose lives she enriched. She was predeceased by her loving husband, Philip R. McDonald, in 1987.
Maria Katryn Marguerite McDonald (Chubaty) was born on February 22, 1937, and raised in Vancouver, B.C. She met her future husband Philip, also a native of Vancouver, at a company picnic in 1957 while both worked for Imperial Oil of Canada at the time. The two exchanged countless love letters while Marguerite studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and Philip attended the Harvard Business School. Marguerite moved to Boston in 1960 and married Philip on her 24th birthday. After living several years in Cambridge, MA and Buffalo, NY they made their permanent home in Newton, MA in 1968. Here they raised their two beloved children—Rebecca Louise (Becky) and Andrew Bruce (Bruce) in a house filled with cats and plants and surrounded by beautiful gardens that she tirelessly tended to with love and creativity. Marguerite was an adventurous cook and often hosted dinner parties that included exotic smells, laughter and friendship.
Mom learned to drive when she was 50; although she did not think of herself as brave or strong, her lived life demonstrated an abundance of these characteristics. After being widowed at age 49, she was able to build an incredibly full and rich life for herself dedicated to her family and her love of art and music. She remained actively engaged in her passions despite being afflicted with debilitating Multiple Sclerosis. She was a very hard working and talented artist. A passion she pursued up until the day she became sick with Covid-19. In the early 1970s, she attended the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston. During the 1990s, she was very involved with the Newton Arts Center, where she displayed many of her paintings. She loved to attend live musical performances and visit art museums. Her penchant for marveling at every detail of a painting, and spending hours perusing a single gallery or watching opera was legendary.
Marguerite lived in the family home on Windermere Road in Newton, MA for most of her life. In 2016 she moved to Maplewood Assisted Living in Weston, MA, where she lived for almost four years. She again made a beautiful home for herself while continuing to paint, make new friends and attend concerts. In November 2019 she moved to the long-term care facility in Newbridge on the Charles in Dedham, MA.
Marguerite loved her family dearly and spent as much time with them as possible. A competitive family game of Uno was not an uncommon sight in recent years. Her frequent losses to her grandchildren brought her great joy and consternation.
She is survived by her daughter Rebecca McDonald and her husband Jonathan Brill of Sausalito, CA; her loving son Bruce McDonald and his wife Laurie of Westwood, MA; her much-adored grandchildren Justin McDonald and Matthew McDonald of Westwood, MA; her dear brother Johnny Chubaty and his wife Glenda of Port Coquitlam, B.C. ; her sister-in-law Valerie Davison and her husband Peter of Surrey, B.C., her daughter-in-law’s parents Mitchell and Maxine Selig of Newton, MA; her nieces and nephews—Dennis, Jamie, Lara, Galen and Carrie, and their children all in British Columbia; and, her many cousins in Nova Scotia. She will forever be remembered by her many dear friends—old and new. A funeral and memorial service will take place at a later date. In honor of her memory, please consider donating to the MS Society at nationalmssociety.org.