Obituary for Lois Ann Donaldson McMullen
Lois Ann Donaldson was born on August 26, 1930 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her parents were Irving P. Donaldson and Hazel Beadle Donaldson. Lois grew up and graduated from high school in Westfield, New Jersey. She attended Keuka College in Keuka Park, New York and after graduation she moved to Tampa, Florida, where she worked for the Tampa Tribune newspaper. In 1951, she met and married Floyd (Mac) McMullen. They relocated to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, to raise their three daughters Linda, Lauren, and Dawn, while both teaching at East Pennsboro High School in nearby Enola. Lois and Mac later divorced, and Lois went back to school to earn a Master's Degree in Education at Johns Hopkins University. In 1980, when the girls went out on their own, Lois moved to San Diego, California, settling in Ocean Beach (OB) where she lived for the rest of her life. During her years in San Diego, Lois continued teaching, first at a private business college and then at an adult learning center for the San Diego Community College District. She loved helping people of all ages and from many countries to complete their educations, improve their employment prospects, learn English and gain citizenship. When she wasn't in the classroom, Lois traveled extensively with friends to many parts of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, to Canada, South America, Europe, and Africa. She visited her daughters in Montana and Pennsylvania every year, and visited New York City as often as possible. Mom was a California girl at heart. She loved San Diego, and especially OB. She kept beautiful flower gardens in the little yard at her apartment on Saratoga Avenue. She loved cooking, reading books and going to book clubs, visiting the library, doing yoga, drawing and painting, going to movies, happy hours, and picnics with friends, and spending weekends in LA or San Francisco. Mom died in Livingston, Montana on June 16, 2015 with her family at her side. She is survived by her daughters Linda McMullen (Farwell Smith) and grandson Jason Smith of Big Timber, Montana; Lauren McMullen (Keith Goodhart) of Big Timber, Montana; Dawn McMullen (Eric Kohl) of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and other family members and friends in California and Pennsylvania. Mom, we miss you!!! Memorials in Lois' name can be made to the San Diego Public Library Foundation at http://supportmylibrary.org/ , the Keuka Fund at http://giving.keuka.edu/fund/ , or the cause of your choice.
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