Frances Kathryn McDonald

Frances Kathryn McDonald, aspiring actress and drama teacher, passed away on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, just 3 weeks after her 99th birthday. Born in Wichita, Kansas on December 12, 1917, to Joseph Hubert Moomey and Anna Steiver, she married Donald Lee McDonald on November 28, 1936 and they lived together for 65 years until his death in 2002. She is survived by her three children, Norman (Barbara) McDonald, ViAnne (Bill) Cort, and David (Anne Salzmann) McDonald, six grandchildren, Elizabeth Fellows, Rebecca Mariman, Joanna McDonald, Adrienne Cort-McKinley, Billy Cort, and Galen David, and nine great grandchildren, Nathaniel Mariman, Rachel Mariman, Bethany Mariman, Matthew Mariman, Gloria Grace Mariman, Micah Cort, Jonah Cort, Alyssa Cort-Brisco and Alma Krammer.



She lived in Wichita until she was 7 years old when her family moved to Oklahoma City to open a restaurant. Her father died when she was 11 years old and her mother remarried Wilbur Tommy Thompson, a loving stepfather and a successful contractor in Oklahoma City. She attended Central High School where she was involved in the Drama Department and met Donald when they were 16. Three years later they were married and soon moved to Los Angeles, California. During and after World War II when Donald was away as a Merchant Seaman, Frances modeled and worked as the Modeling Director at a photography studio, acted in stage and radio productions and was instrumental in producing and acting in the first books-on-tape series. In the 1960s, she taught drama and self-expression and cared for her mother until her death in 1974. After Donald died, she became active in a creative writing group for seniors. She was beloved by her family and a broad circle of their friends during the final years of her life, as she became the surrogate grandmother for many. A well attended Celebration of Her Life was held on January 8, 2017 accompanied by lots of tears and laugher and wonderful stories. She will be missed by all.