Carmen Maria MacDonald – First Sergeant, United States Marine Corps

From a contemporary press report:

Carmen Maria MacDonald, 47, of Spotsylvania, Virginia, rode on the winds of angels to the Gates of Heaven on Sunday, March 21, 2004. She was at home with her family and dear friend.

In 1963, Carmen emigrated from Nicaragua to the United States of America. Her life in the United States embodied the American spirit. She graduated from Colonel Zadok Magruder High School, Olney, Maryland, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975. She worked in the Computer Programming and Information Technology areas during her career. She also had a successful tour as a drill instructor, MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina, and as an instructor, Staff Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, Camp Lejeune. She retired, a First Sergeant, in August 1995, after a distinguished 20-year career.

She currently worked as a Workforce Information Specialist in the Workforce and Information Planning Group (WIPG), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in Washington, D.C.

Carmen was very active in the Boy Scouts of America and youth soccer, baseball and football. She loved her dogs, Lady, Friskie, Princess and Gunny. She enjoyed the birds at the feeders and the peace and quiet of our community. Her family and friends always came first, and served as an inspiration to all of us.

An extremely proud moment in her life was becoming a naturalized American citizen in 1989.

She is survived by her husband, Francis “Mac” MacDonald, of Spotsylvania; her sons, L. Dale MacDonald and Christopher M. MacDonald of Spotsylvania, and Brian S. MacDonald and his wife, Angela, of Birmingham, Alabama; her mother, Lillyam V. Garcia, of Olney, Maryland; her sister, Leslie J. Colbert and her husband, Leo, of Glen Allen; and her brother, Glen R. Newman, of Greenville, North Carolina.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, April 5, at Covenant Funeral Service, 4801 Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, Va. 22407.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 6, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 8151 Elys Ford Road, Fredericksburg, Va. 22407. A standard honors military burial will follow in Arlington National Cemetery at 2 p.m.

A thought Carmen would like you to take with you is, “Do not be upset that life's roses have thorns; but, in turn, be thankful life's thorns are blessed to have roses.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made in Carmen's memory, to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Box 650309, Dallas, Texas 75265-0309.

“Take charge and carry out the plan of the day.”


MACDONALD, CARMEN M
1ST SGT   US MARINE CORPS
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 08/31/1960 – 08/31/1995
DATE OF BIRTH: 12/31/1956
DATE OF DEATH: 03/21/2004
DATE OF INTERMENT: 04/06/2004
BURIED AT: SECTION 69  SITE 3757
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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