Obituary of Dortha Lucile McDonald

Dortha Lucile Hennessee McDonald Dortha Lucile “Dot” Hennessee, widow of Malcolm F. McDonald of Sylva, NC, died suddenly and peacefully, surrounded by her family on November 10, 2013, in Fernandina Beach. FL. Dot was born in the Rocky River community of Van Buren County, Tennessee, on March 23, 1928, to W. C. and Stella Bell Hennessee. Her father, W. C. Hennessee was working with the Rocky River Coal and Lumber Company at that time, and the family moved several times in Tennessee and Georgia with the lumber company before finally settling in Sylva, North Carolina, in 1934. Ten years later, W. C. Hennessee bought out the interests of other partners and started his own company—W. C. Hennessee Lumber Company, which operated mills at several locations until finally consolidating into one location in the Addie Community of Jackson County, NC. This company was in continuous operation until 1981, when it was sold to Hammermill Paper Company.Dot’s siblings were an older brother, Robert; a younger brother, Jack; and a younger sister, Donna. Dot graduated from Sylva High School in 1943 and attended her first year of college at Western Carolina Teachers College (now, Western Carolina University) because this was during the war years and Dot’s mother wanted to keep her close to home. After her freshman year, Dot transferred to Meredith College, and eagerly hopped on the train to Raleigh, North Carolina, with her huge wardrobe trunk. Dot majored in English and devoured her studies—keeping her nose in a book as much as possible. After her junior year, Dot went to the University of Tennessee for a summer class in Radio—and decided to finish her senior year there. She graduated from U.T. with a B.A. in English in 1948.Dot’s first job was with a radio station in Knoxville, where she had her own program, “Dot Hennessee’s Church News of the Air.” Soon Dot met a handsome young man from Memphis, Tennessee, who captured her heart—Malcolm F. “Mackie” McDonald—and they were married on September 3, 1950. They lived in Forest Hill, TN, where Mackie worked in the dairy business—at a cheese plant in Olive Branch, Mississippi—with his step-father, Burton Annis. Later, Mackie and his brother William “Witty” McDonald opened a sporting goods store in Memphis. Two children were born to Dot and Mackie during those happy years in Tennessee: Malcolm “Mac” McDonald in 1952 and Donna Elizabeth McDonald in 1954. After seven years in the Memphis area of Tennessee, Dot and Mackie moved to Sylva where Mackie joined the W.C. Hennessee Lumber Co. as plant manager. In 1961, Dot and Mackie had their third child, Clifton Arthur “C.A.” McDonald.Dot’s life in Sylva centered around her family, her church, and her community. She served on the Jackson County School Board, the board of the Southwestern Technical Institute, and in later years, participated in the Senior Olympics--representing Jackson County in the state meet in Raleigh. Dot was a member of First Baptist Church, Sylva, for over 70 years. Dot especially enjoyed her many grandchildren and delighted in writing plays for them to perform when they came to visit. Videos of these “sit-coms” got even funnier as the years passed. Dot also enjoyed hiking the mountains of Jackson County with her grandchildren and boating on Glenville Lake. Friends were a big part of Dot’s life, and she especially enjoyed outings with her “Birthday Group” in her later years. Dot began a new phase of life at age 78, when she moved to Florida to live with her son C.A. and his family. She made many new friends in Fernandina Beach, and loved her new church family at Springhill Baptist. While in Florida, Dot continued her love of life-long learning by participating in the grandchildren’s homeschooling, and she especially enjoyed an American history class she took with her grandson when she was in her 80s. Together, she and Joe made an A plus. Dot was preceded in death by her parents, W.C. and Stella Hennessee; by her brother, Robert Hennessee; and by her daughter, Donna “Sis” McDonald Williams Bost. She is survived by her brother, Jack Hennessee (Carol) of Sylva and sister, Donna Bryan (Charles) of Columbia, South Carolina. Also surviving are son, Mac (Jeanne) McDonald of Hartselle, AL and their children: Rebekah (Duncan) Rein of Birmingham, AL—(parents of Dot’s first great-grandchild, Lucie); Catherine (Lyle) Walton of Ann Arbor, MI—(parents of Dot’s third great-grandchild, Sophie Cate); Emily (Ross) Webb of Birmingham, AL (parents of Dot’s second great-grandchild Elliot); Malcolm (Julie) McDonald— (parents of great-grandchild number four, due in April); Donna Grace McDonald and Josiah McDonald, both students at George Washington University in Washington DC. Son C.A. (Jane) McDonald of Fernandina Beach, FL also survive. Their children are Kate McDonald of Chicago, IL; Laura McDonald (and fiancé Brent Norwood) of Athens, GA; Joe McDonald, a student at NC State University in Raleigh; and Jesse and Keaton of the home. In Florida, visitation will be Tuesday, November 12th at Oxley-Heard Funeral Home from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m, followed by a Memorial Service at Springhill Baptist Church on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. A Memorial Service will also be held in Sylva, NC on Thursday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Jeff Mathis and Rev. Ed Beddingfield officiating. Visitation will be at the church for one hour before the service. Dot loved children, and the family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to FL Baptist Children’s Homes at www.fbchomes.org. Appalachian Funeral Services is assisting with local arrangements. .