Katherine Ann Macdonald

Katherine Ann MacDonald, age 93, passed away Jan. 10, 2015, at Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center in Walla Walla. Kay was born on Nov. 19, 1921, to Luigi and Rosalie (Enna) Pernici in DeRidder, La.

She grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1940. During World War II, she worked to support the war effort in airplane factories. She met Rod MacDonald on VJ Day (9/2/1945) in Los Angeles. She and Rod were married on June 29, 1947, in Los Angeles. She then lived in Pullman, then Pasco, before moving to Walla Walla in 1958.

She worked for approximately 20 years at Birds-Eye (later D&K) in Walla Walla and retired in 1986.

She loved to read and played along with Jeopardy until her very last days. She was extremely smart in spite of never having the chance to go to college. She was enormously proud her children and all of her grandchildren so far have completed college.

She held her family together through the real prolonged crisis of Rod’s illness – nothing was more important than her family and those relationships. She set an example and you never wanted to disappoint your Mom or “Nonna.” She sacrificed much for her family. She achieved her wish of living in her own home to the very end.

Katherine was preceded in death by her husband Rod in 2010 after 63 years of marriage; her parents; and her sisters, Josephine and Rose.

She is survived by her brother, Vince Pernici of Whittier, Calif.; and her children, Michael (Wendy) Mac-Donald of Lake Ridge, Va., Rosanne (Manny) Cabinian of Grayslake, Ill., Chris (Therese) MacDonald of Seattle, John (Cathy) MacDonald of Wenatchee, Anita (Mark) Burrows of Pendleton, and Gina (fiancé Mark) Bowman of Spokane; as well as 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A Rosary will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, at Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, and on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, from 8-9:30 a.m. A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at St. Francis Catholic Church, 722 W. Alder, Walla Walla, following with burial at Mountain View Cemetery and then a luncheon in the St. Francis Parish Hall. Memorials may be made to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church or DeSales High School

She will be missed by everyone who had the good fortune to know her.