Mary M. (Ipsen) McDonald, 03 Feb 1946 - 12 Dec 2019

MCDONALD, IPSEN, RUESS, ROONEY, AGLIANO

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 6/4/2020 at 14:48:38

Mary M. McDonald, 73, died Thursday, December 12, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 AM Thursday, December 19th at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Iowa City. Father William Haesaert will officiate. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 7 PM at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City, where a Rosary will be recited at 6:30 pm. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Andre House of Arizona, 213 S. 11th St., P.O. Box 2014, Phoenix, AZ 85001.

Mary was born on February 3, 1946 in Iowa City, the daughter of Ray and Mary (Ruess) Ipsen. She was a 1964 graduate of Regina High School, 1964. She received her B.A. Degree from Creighton University, 1968, and her M.A. Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Iowa 1972. On August 16, 1969 Mary married Thomas E. McDonald in Iowa City.

Mary received her Certification from the Association Montessori Internationale, Montessori Education Center of Arizona, 1999. From 1982 – 2005 Mary received several certifications in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Rome, Italy, where she studied under the tutelage of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program founder, Dr. Sofia Cavaletti and Gianna Gobi, Rome Italy.

Mary dedicated her life to the early childhood Education and especially something very important to her, the child’s Catholic faith. Throughout her life and teaching career she was instrumental in initiating and launching several schools and school programs involved with the education of young children. Mary was the founder, director and teacher of a preschool working in close association with St. Wenceslaus Roman Catholic Church in Iowa City, Iowa from 1983-1987. She was the founding kindergarten teacher at Ville de Marie Academy, Scottsdale, AZ, from 1992-1994 and returned to the school to teach again from 1997-1999.

In 2000 she and Tom moved to Whitmore Lake, Michigan where she initially taught at Spiritus Sanctus Academy in Plymouth, Michigan. In 2001 she was engaged by the Rev. William Thomas of Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in Hamburg, Michigan to become the founding principal of its new elementary school. In addition to her duties as principal and curriculum director Mary also served as the pre-school and kindergarten teacher at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Elementary School. In 2009 she and Tom returned to Scottsdale, AZ and she became involved with Montessori and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd programs in St. Maria Goretti Parish, Scottsdale, AZ and St. Francis Grade School, Phoenix.

Mary is survived by her loving husband, Thomas of Scottsdale and their three children and six grandchildren, Michelle M. Rooney, her husband Rick, and their children Sofia, Sarah, Jacob and Lily, Matthew R. McDonald, his wife Julie, and their daughter Avigail, and Megan M. Agliano, her husband Chris, and their daughter Abigail; many brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents and her in-laws, Alfred and Mary Agnes McDonald.

Published in The Gazette on December 16, 2019