Annette McDonald was born on June 24, 1937 in Greenville South Carolina, the 5th of 7 children and died on June 12, 2024 in Winston Salem North Carolina.

Annette grew up with her parents and siblings. She was a caregiver from a young age, often going to live with and care for her wheelchair bound grandmother.

Soon after graduating from Sterling High School in Greenville, she married Robert McDonald and gave birth to her first 2 children in South Carolina. She then migrated to New York and over the next few years gave birth to 3 more children.

Annette was always an extremely hard worker and a go-getter, holding various jobs, most often more than one at a time. Annette soon enrolled in La Roberts Beauty School and became a licensed beautician. She worked as a beautician for many years while holding other jobs and taking college courses in one thing or another, always trying to better herself and provide for her children.

She soon started her career at The Veterans Administration Hospital in Brooklyn NY around 1971. She ultimately decided to return to college when her youngest son, Oscar, started college and then enjoyed working in Nursing Services at the VA Hospital, first on the Respiratory Therapy floor and then on the Psychiatric ward as a member of the Crisis Intervention Team, until her retirement around 1996.

Annette absolutely loved banquets, dances, bus outings and organizing other social events. She was an Eastern Star for over 50 years and served as her chapter's Associate Worthy Matron for several decades. She also loved to sew, knit, crochet, quilt, collect beautiful angel statuettes and many of you already know that she was an amazing cook in her hay day.

She was an active participant at the Senior Center and the Outreach Center, and she loved being in community with folks in both places, and they loved her. Her favorite activity was traveling. Even at the sight of an airplane, she would sometimes utter the words "I wonder where they're going". She took at least 15 cruises, including Alaska and traveled to most of the Caribbean by sea and air, in addition to traveling to Europe.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Odessa Brooks Williams and James "Bubba" Williams; her brothers, June Williams and Oscar Williams; sisters, Barbara Jean Foster and Doris Carter; and 2 of her children, Lisa McDonald and Barry McDonald.
She is survived by 3 of her 5 children, Andrea Ndiaye, Rodney McDonald, Oscar McDonald and their respective partners, Rogers Kennel, Deborah McDonald and Miranda Junge; 2 younger siblings, Karen Williams and Harold Williams; grandchildren: Crystal Joy Butcher, Pamela McDonald, Tyshona Livingston, Leonisa Johnson, Kayla McDonald, and Odessa Junge McDonald; great grandchildren: Tyshawn Brantley, Zarianna Livingston, Jermani Cage, LaShawna Wiggins, Chy-Anne Butcher, Christian Butcher, Cha-Nyah, and Chloeigh Butcher; great-great grandchildren: Serenity Meeks and Heaven Meeks; and many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her well and loved her dearly.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00pm Thursday, June 20, 2024 at Piney Grove Baptist Church. Interment will follow in Piney Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. The family visitation will be held from 12:00noon until 1:00pm on Thursday at the Church.