Martha Ann Dennis McDonald

A Memorial Service honoring the life of Martha has now been scheduled. The service will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall St., Shreveport, Louisiana. A visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service. Martha Ann Dennis McDonald was born November 19, 1936 in Hodge, Louisiana to Hazel Winona Lumley Dennis and Joseph Wayne Dennis and passed away peacefully, Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The eldest of four children, Martha graduated Valedictorian of the Class of 1954, at Hodge High School. September 9, 1956, she married the love of her life, John Clifton McDonald in Hodge, LA. The two met while he was an intern and she a nursing student at Confederate Memorial Hospital in Shreveport, LA, now Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport. After marriage they moved to New Jersey, where she worked in a medical office while John served in the United States Air Force. After completing his service and training at SUNY-Buffalo, NY, they moved to New Orleans, LA with their three girls. While in New Orleans, Martha earned her real estate license and a degree in Art History. A life-long learner, she also earned a degree in business from LSU-Shreveport in 1986. In 1977, they moved to Shreveport where she became known as "Miss Martha" a gracious hostess who enjoyed opening her home to countless medical students and surgery residents. She was well known and respected in the community for her voluntarism and her efforts, along with her husband, to foster the surgical training program at LSUHSC-Shreveport. Martha was very proud to have served her community not only as a board member of the United Way but as a founder of the Faculty Wives Club at LSUHSC, where she also served as president. Along with Berte Muslow and Dr. Terry Davis, she also helped begin the Reach Out and Read Program. She was one of the original volunteers assisting Dr. Robert Jackson when he opened the Martin Luther King Health Center. Martha loved her children and grandchildren; enjoyed travel and bridge, was an avid reader, organizer, gardener, and dog lover. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister-in-law, Sharon Dennis and brother-in-law, Al Lee. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Melissa Lee McDonald of New Orleans, LA, Karen McDonald Lairmore and husband, Terry of Shreveport, LA and Martha McDonald Whyte and husband, William of Minden, LA; grandchildren, Daniel Lairmore and wife, Katie, Ashley Lairmore, Sarah Lairmore and fiancé, Chris, Emma Whyte and Hayden Whyte; brother, William Dennis; sisters, Carolyn Lee and Jo Dykes; numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews and many, many friends. The family would like to thank Gazi Zibari, MD; Joseph Jones, MD; Joy Campbell, Betty White, Louise White and Debbie and Fred Stucker, MD, for their care, compassion and friendship given to Martha. The family suggests any memorials may be made to the John C. McDonald, MD Endowed Chair in Surgery at LSU Health-Shreveport Foundation, 920 Pierremont Road, Suite 506, Shreveport, LA 71106, or the charity of the donor's choice.