Biruta N. McDonald, 75, for
fifty-two years the beloved wife of Donald E. McDonald
of Ipswich, died peacefully Saturday evening
August 28, 2010, after
a valiant fight with a long illness.
Biruta was at home at time
of her passing, and by her side were her husband,
two
sons, Mark and Craig, along with Craig's fiancée, Debbi
(Bernard) Clemenzi.
Born
in
Talsi,
Latvia,
Biruta was the loving
daughter of Herberts and
Minna
Briedis. Biruta and
her family were forced to leave their homeland in 1943
to flee the invading Russian army. The war years were
spent in various parts of Germany and Czechoslovakia,
until the family, along with other refugees, was
liberated by the American Army in 1944. In 1951,
Biruta's family immigrated
to Manlius, NY, where she attended public school and
later Syracuse University's Crouse College of Art, later
Biruta proudly studied at
Monserrat School of Art. Her
paintings are displayed in various galleries in the
Northeast and have been the recipient of many awards.
Biruta was also a very
active and long-time member of the Chorus of the North
Shore.
In
addition to her husband and sons,
Biruta is also survived by six sisters,
Dzidra
Terpstra, Rasma
Martinez, Ausma Baxter, and
Liga Wood, of Manlius, NY;
Maruta Basset of Syracuse,
NY, and Aija Day of
Prescott, AZ; three brothers,
Ilgvars and Janis (John)
Briedis of Manlius, NY, and
Juris (George) Briedis
of Newborn, GA; six granddaughters, Kirsten, Claire, and
Lily McDonald of Boxford, MA;
Rebekah Field of Ipswich; Renee and Brenda
McDonald of Yarmouth, MA; one great grandson, Rueben
Field of Ipswich, along with many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her brother,
Ojars Briedis,
formerly of Manlius.
A
Memorial Service will be held
11
am on Saturday September 11
at the Ascension Memorial Church, 31 County Street,
Ipswich, followed by interment in Cowles Memorial
Cemetery, Ipswich. Visiting hours will be Friday evening
September10 from 5 pm to 8pm in the Whittier-Porter
Funeral Home, 6 High Street,
Ipswich.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made
to the Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan St, Suite
B102, Danvers, MA or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 44
Binney St. Boston, MA 02115.
