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Obituary (PA): Mrs. Constance (William I. Donaldson '47)

Posted on 11/06/2018

Constance Wilt Marshall Donaldson entered the kingdom of heaven on October 22, 2018 after living a full life of 95 years. She was born on Aug 02, 1923 in Elkins, WV as the oldest daughter of Adam Jacob Marshall and Kathryn Wilt. Her father, Civil Engineer, supervised large construction projects which kept the young family on the move and as a result Connie learned early how to adapt and be independent; traits she would put to good use throughout her life. She left home at the age of 19 at a time when the family was living in San Juan, Puerto Rico to attend West Virginia University where she earned a degree in Education. Later she earned a Master's in Education Administration. Both accomplishments would further shape her life as she went on to work in public education for over 30 years, working in school districts in Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Connie married William Irving Donaldson, LCDR USN (Ret) in June of 1946 at the US Naval Academy and together through sixty years of marriage raised a family of three sons and a daughter: William I. Donaldson, Jr. (Pat), Marsha E. Robbins (Jim), Kent R. Donaldson, and Scott L. Donaldson (Penny) plus numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. She and her husband lived and traveled in many parts of the US as well as Europe and Asia. She was both a skilled officer's wife and a determined, self-assured, fiercely independent mother who taught high school science and math for many years insisting her students and especially her children value their education and seek learning as a life long journey. She is preceded in death by her husband and two younger sisters – Nancy Ellen Marshall Nelson and Elinor Louise Marshall Lawrence. She is to be interred alongside her husband at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Connie can be honored with contributions to NEADS (service dogs for veterans), PO Box 1100, Princeton, MA 01541 or a charity of your choice. www.pennlive.com/obits

Published on Pennlive.com and in The Patriot-News from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11, 2018