Mary "Karen" Mcdonald

McDonald, Mary Karen, age 68, formerly of Boston, passed away peacefully Friday, February 17, 2019, after a brave battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Karen was a graduate of Norwood High School.

Before meeting the love of her life, Mary Michelle “Mic” Pritchett, and moving to Virginia, Karen worked in transportation in Boston, as a cab driver and bus driver for children with intellectual disabilities. After moving to Virginia, Karen worked for many years with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at VCU Health System, a job she loved with a team of people she adored. When she was not working, Karen enjoyed cooking, traveling, fishing, and spending time with her partner, friends, and her beloved fur babies.

Karen became active in recovery in later adulthood. She loved to be of service and spent many years working in the community, leading workshops, sponsoring women, serving as an area officer, and carrying the message of recovery into local jails. This service work carried Karen into a new way of life and a new freedom, which she shared openly with others. Karen’s enthusiasm for recovery, strong faith in God, and the love she showed others inspired all who knew her and resulted in a legacy of people whose lives she changed with her work.

Karen was preceded in death by her beloved partner of 17 years, Mic. She is survived by her sister, Deborah Anderson (James) of Houston, Texas; her brother, George Kral (Teresa) of Toledo, Ohio; her adopted children, Georgi Fisher (Kristi), Gretchen Rhodenizer, and Cindy; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

A celebration of Karen’s life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at Chester United Methodist Church, 12132 Percival Street, Chester, Virginia.