V e rl i a M a e M c Donald w a s b o rn S e ptemb e r 28, 1942 to Colb e rt Collin s, Sr. and V e tian
J o ub e rt in Plai s an ce , L o ui s iana . S h e was bapti ze d at Saint Jo s eph Cath o lic C hur c h in
Plaisanc e, Louisian a. H e r earl y e du c ati o n w as in Plai s anc e, L o ui s iana and af t e r m ov ing t o
L a k e Charle s, att e nd e d W. O. Bo s ton High S c h oo l. After recei v ing h e r dipl o m a f r o m W . O.
B os t o n Hig h Sch o ol , sh e r ece i ve d h e r Ba c h e l o r of A rt s d eg re e f rom McNeese S tat e Uni v er si t y .
In 1960 s h e ma r ried the l ov e of her life Jack Jerome M c D o nald , Jr . Fr o m thi s uni o n their
t wo b oys, J ac k J e r o me M c Donald III and J ose ph All e n M c D o nald we re b o rn . V e rlia was a faithful memb e r of Saint Marg ar e t Cath o lic Church in Lake Charl es, L o ui s iana .

M s. M c Donald , as sh e w a s aff ect ion a t e ly c all ed, w as a lif e l o ng l e arn er and c on t inued h e r
e du c ati o n r ece iving a M as ter ' s of Edu c ation , a Master 's plu s 30 , and an Edu c ati o n Speciali s t degr e e from M c N ee se State Uni v er s it y .

She st uden t taught at Riv e rsid e El e menta ry und e r t h e s up e r vis i o n of Ms . L e na Kl e in . Sh e
started her tea c hing career at Bell City El e m e ntar y in Bell Cit y, L o ui s iana and wo rk e d t here
fo r ove r 20 y e ar s an d later taught at J o hn J. J o hns o n El e m e ntar y fo r a ye ar . Ms . Mc D o nald
r e tired in 2001 and b eca u s e of h e r l o v e for children , t e aching and changing li ve s s h e did n o t
s tay in r e tir e m e nt . In 2 001 s he return e d to w o rk at J o hn F. K e nn e d y Elem e n ta r y w h ere sh e
wo rk e d until the e nd of scho o l ye a r 201 8. Th e re w er e t oo man y mind s to fo rm , t oo mu c h
l ov e t o g iv e, t oo many h e ar ts t o shap e. Sh e had a loving and giving s piri t . Oh, the food
fr o m h e r ki t ch e n , w hi c h w as t h e n e ighb o rh oo d d e pot , hung e r had n o c han ce. Th e p ot ma y n o t hav e be e n on the st ov e , but if y ou dr o pp e d b y, she wo uld gi ve yo u a full co urs e m e al from h e r re frig e ra to r .

Som e of h e r many a c c o mplishment s / r ec ogni t ion s includ e d Teach e r of th e Y ear for
C alca s ieu Pari s h whi c h lead t o h e r bec o m i ng T e ach e r of the Y e ar for th e Stat e of L o ui s iana.
One di s tin c tion t hat she treasured w as s er v ing a s Grand Marshall at on e of Bell C it y's
H o m ec oming Parad es . Her m e mber s hip in th e Em e rald Social C lub lead t o lifelong frien d- ship s .

She is pr e ceded in death b y her mother , V etian Joube r t , f a t her , C olber t C o ll in s, Sr. ;
s i s t e r s, A lberta Ru sse ll, V ir qie Le e Bradl ey, and Ann e M a ri e M abr y; broth ers , Co lb e rt
C o ll i ns, j r . , and Franki e Collins.

V e rlia Ma e l e av es t o c h er ish her w arm mem ories in th e heart s of th os e w hom s he l ove d :
her hu s band, Ja c k J e rome M c D o nald , Sr. ; s on s, Ja c k J. (Kim ) Mc Donald III of A tl a nta,
G eo rgia , and J. A ll e n M cD o nald of A u s tin , Texa s; on e br o th e r , Elro y Coll i ns; o n e uncl e, tw o
grand c h i ldr e n , on e g r e at grand c hild ; s ist e r in la ws, br o th e r in law s; and a hos t of nieces,
n e ph e w s, other relati v e s and friend s .