Saturday, March 28, 2009

Mrs. Mac

a letter from Cathy....

Dear Friends,

With a very heavy heart I’m writing to let you know that my mother has passed away.

She left us peacefully on March 22, 2009. She had an angel at her side in the guise of a hospice nurse named Mary who, along with a band of very caring and skilled medical personnel at the nursing home, made sure that she was comfortable and pain-free to the end.

Many of you have already received the word. It appears that the Camp Four Winds network is alive and well! I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful outreach with emails and phone calls. Your compassionate response to our loss – which you share as well – means the world to Dan, Benjamin and me.

A celebration of Mother’s life will be held on Saturday, April 25th, 2009 at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, 321 South Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (703-549-6670, www.opmh.org <http://www.opmh.org> ) at 12:30 PM.

We are holding the service on a Saturday with the hope that it will make it easier for those of you from out of town to attend. Your family members are also most welcome.

Mrs. Mac touched so many lives over the course of her lifetime that I hope you will be able to join us as we recreate her Sunday Chapel Service at Four Winds. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to celebrate her life than with the words she used to inspire us when we were young. Percy will be reading Mother’s part and there are a few opportunities for you to participate with additional readings if you would like.

Following the service, there will be a reception/reunion at our house, 8303 Rampart Court, Alexandria, VA 22308, (703-360-1384) to share some tears, many laughs and a lifetime of memories.

I would be grateful if you could let Beth Owens Davis know if you plan to attend (we need to know how many PB&J’s to make) and if you would like to participate in the service. Her email is emowens1@yahoo.com <mailto:emowens1@yahoo.com>
(*aside note... you can also RSVP on FaceBook.. at the page for Camp Four Winds. Click to "become a fan" and in the left column you can click on the event and that you will or will not attend)
Beth is keeping track of the speaking parts and will know which ones are available and what they entail.

We are all Mrs. Mac’s “girls”. She gave us her best. We are her legacy. Please join us as we hear her words one last time and say “au revoir” to a truly remarkable lady.

With love, Cathy

In lieu of flowers we are asking that contributions be made in Mother’s memory to Maine Coast Heritage Trust for the Caterpillar Hill Fund. If you care to contribute, kindly make checks payable to Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Please put “in memory of Grace Hooper McNeal” on the memo line. They can be mailed to:

Maine Coast Heritage Trust
1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 201
Topsham, Maine 04086
207-729-7366

You may also make a contribution online at:
www.mcht.org
<http://www.mcht.org> and click the blue “donate now”
rectangle in the upper right had corner.

Again, please make sure that you indicate that your gift is in memory of Grace Hooper McNeal.


Contributions will go towards conservation work on Caterpillar Hill, Maine with is much-loved vistas that overlook Walker Pond where Four Winds was located that held such a special place in my mother’s heart.

Along a coast renowned for its scenic beauty, Caterpillar Hill in Sedgwick stands out – offering a quintessential Maine view of sloping blueberry fields opening out to the island-dotted, mountain-rimmed waters of Penobscot Bay.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust is a statewide land trust working to preserve the character of Maine.

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