Dorothy Lee Gray McDonald, age 91, of Winnie, Texas entered into her heavenly reward on Saturday, May 27, 2017, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Dorothy Lee was born February 7, 1926 to parents Annie Lou Nutt and William Lee Gray of Beeville, Texas. Lee Gray spotted Annie while she played at a piano recital he was covering as a reporter for the Beeville Picayune newspaper. They were married within the year. Annie died of ovarian cancer when Dorothy was only 11 years old and she moved from place to place following her father, Lee Gray who was a traveling salesman.
She met the love of her life, Vaughn Coman McDonald, Jr., when she auditioned for his band. JDEL as a singer in 1959 at the Beaumont Country Club after a dance. Agent Nick Fazio introduced them and Vaughn played piano for the band. Dorothy won both the audition and the piano player, and they were married in the summer of 1960 in Llano, Texas after a camping trip to Garner State Park.
Vaughn was a band director at East Chambers High School in Winnie, Texas and encouraged Dorothy to go back and earn her teaching certificate which she did at night and during summers graduating from Lamar University in 1963. Dorothy became a highly regarded fourth grade English teacher at East Chambers Elementary school for many years before her retirement in 1984.
Dorothy served as building representative for the East Chambers PTA, Classroom Teachers Association and Texas State Teachers Association. She was a charter member of the Women’s Civic Club organized in 1969 by the honorable Judge Mary Dugat. She penned the motto for the organization, “Stretching forth a willing hand to help a worthy fellow man.” She served as President of the club in three decades, 1974, 1983 and 1991 and was twice voted Woman of the Year in 1974 and again in 1976. She loved selling funnel cakes at the Texas Rice Festival as a fundraiser for the many projects she helped sponsor which included naming the streets of Winnie, Texas and buying and erecting street signs throughout Winnie in the early 1970’s; the establishment of 911 emergency physical addresses and Neighborhood Watch programs in the Winnie area, and the purchase and erecting of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in front of Texas First Bank in Winnie.
Most importantly, Dorothy was faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Winnie, Texas and served on the Sunday school teaching staff and in the choir for over 40 years. She told anyone who would listen that nothing brought her more joy and fulfillment than teaching God’s Word. Her favorite scripture was Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.”
She continued to sing in Vaughn’s bands until his death in 1989 and sang her final solo in church last year at a Fifth Sunday Singing event at age 90. Today, she sings in the heavenly choir while Vaughn plays piano at her side.
She is survived by her children, Cindy Lee Shenk and her husband, Donald; Bret Alan and his wife, Beverly; and Barton Keith McDonald and his wife, Laura; grandchildren, Donna Lee Hartt, Jason Matthew Harvey, Timothy Dustin Alexander, Vanessa Nicole Alexander, Tyler Bret McDonald, Vance Coman McDonald, Lindsey Denise McDonald, Brunson May McDonald, and Zoe Gray McDonald; nine great-grandchildren, Jessica Hart Burns, Katy Lee Hart Pruitt, Haley Spencer Lovett, Elli Blayke McDonald, Maddox Bret McDonald, Coman Kayle McDonald, Sara Elizabeth Harvey, Mercedes Harvey and Alexander Christian Lapoint and five great-great-grandchildren.
Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Vaughn Coman McDonald, Jr.; daughter, Linda Sue Alexander; and granddaughter, Mandy Alexander.
A special thanks to the wonderful caregivers, nurses and doctors at Baptist Hospital and St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas, Brookdale at Dowlen Oaks in Beaumont, Texas and Harbor Hospice in Beaumont, Texas.
A gathering of Mrs. McDonald’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Monday, May 29, 2017, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie. A funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at First Baptist Church of Winnie, 120 West Pear Avenue, Winnie. Her interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Winnie, beside her beloved husband, Vaughn, who preceded her in death 28 years ago.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Winnie, PO Box 665, Winnie, Texas 77665.
Pallbearers are Gaylon Dunsway, James Finn, Kevin Hunt, Donald Shank, Bret McDonald, Bart McDonald, Tyler McDonald and Vance McDonald. Honorary pallbearers are Bernie Johnson and Jimmy Nicholson.
