Maybelle Clark Macdonald. A Legacy of Good
It is with great sadness that ChristieCare mourns the loss of Maybelle Clark Macdonald. Maybelle is a Life Member of The ChristieCare Board of Directors. She was a member of the first Board of Directors in 1966 and her support of ChristieCare was steadfast throughout the rest of her life.
Mrs. Macdonald’s history with ChristieCare is long and venerable. In 1967, when the agency was threatened with closure due to inadequate living spaces, Mrs. Macdonald and her sister, Elizabeth Pease, came forward with two very generous donations which made possible the building of Clark and Wilson Cottages, named after their father, Wilson Clark of Clark & Wilson Lumber Company. Over the past 40 years, Clark and Wilson cottages have housed more than 5,000 children; today Clark and Wilson serve as offices for ChristieCare’s dedicated team of psychiatrists, nurses and program managers.
Maybelle’s legacy is that she cared the most for those most vulnerable. This legacy lives on everyday in the programs and foundations she helped to build at ChristieCare. From our Stables Program (now an Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Program), which Maybelle loved to visit, to the walls of Clark and Wilson Cottages, her generous spirit and belief in the power of one individual to impact her community is palpable. For the children at ChristieCare, who have, in many cases, been forgotten or abandoned, Mrs. Macdonald’s very obvious support was a constant reminder that they were cared for and valued.
“The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” –William James
Maybelle’s legacy of care continues undaunted everyday at ChristieCare. We are thankful to have known this very remarkable woman, and appreciate her inspirational commitment to young people.