Mary Peel

Mary McDonald Peel, born August 17, 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio, passed away on December 6, 2015, in

Denver, Colorado at the age of 82. She was the middle child of Lawrence McDonald and Clara Gaertner

McDonald. After graduating from University of North Dakota, she began teaching in Denver and later

moved to England to take a teaching position with the Armed Services. It was there that she met and

married Major R. Dudley Peel, USAF of Paris, TN. For the next 16 years they lived mainly overseas in both

England and Spain. Their favorite pastime was to browse through antique stores acquiring treasures that

came to mean home for their growing family. Their three daughters earned extra pocket money

polishing brass and copper pieces, a tradition her granddaughters continued. In 1979 they moved back

to the US when Dudley became stricken with cancer and settled in Jacksonville, Fl.to be near Mary's

brother, Jim McDonald and his family. When her husband died at the age of 44, Mary was left to raise

their daughters alone. She taught middle school full time while fulfilling the role of both parents. As her

girls reached independence, Mary pursued new interests and continued her education at Loyola Univ.

and later became opera lover, took up quilting, and taught Mah jongg. She was an avid traveler and

hiker and took several active vacations with Elder Hostel including a dog mushing trip in Alaska. Mary

eventually left Jacksonville and moved to Weaverville, NC for several years. From there she lived briefly

in Eugene, OR and then returned to the Denver area in 2007.

This detailing of her life doesn't get at the essence of Mary. She was a mom who was an admittedly

terrible cook, but who made dinner time an important part of the day. She was determined to raise a

close family by creating traditions which we continue today. She had a sharp mind and was always

learning something new. She was one of the strongest women we have ever known, and by her example

raised her girls to be strong women as well. She taught us that life isn't always easy and or fair, but it is

wonderful and family is what makes it worthwhile. Her passing leaves behind a hole in our lives that no

one else can fill.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, R. Dudley Peel, her brothers James McDonald

(Jacksonville, Fl), and Thomas McDonald (Cleveland, OH). She is survived by her daughters Elizabeth

Peel (David Lee), and Katherine Peel of Denver, CO., and Mary‐Martha Bahn (Chris) of Bozeman, MT:

her grandsons Sean Styerwalt (Danielle Masters), Brian Styerwalt, Austin Lee; her granddaughters Alexis

and Delaney Bahn; her In‐laws Marie McDonald (Ohio), Bob and Chris Peel (Plano, TX) and nieces and

nephews including Jimmy McDonald, Kathleen (Gregg) Troy, Tom (Langley) McDonald, John McDonald,

Richard (Kathy) McDonald, Kevin McDonald, Jim McDonald, Kathryn Peel and Delaney Peel

Mary' ashes will be interred next to her husband in Jacksonville, Fl. during a private ceremony.

Condolences and messages to the family may be left below. (www.csccares.com)

In lieu of flowers, her family requests donations be made to The Macular Degeneration Research,

Friends of the Colorado Talking Book Library, and Agape Healthcare (Hospice) of Denver.

For those in the Denver area, we will be hosting an open house Wednesday, December 16th 3‐7pm at

the Buck Community Recreation Center in Little