AUBURN – Held by loving family, Donna Louise McGary, 69, died peacefully May 5, 2022, at the Androscoggin Hospice House in Auburn, Maine following 22 years of living with throat cancer that had caused the loss of her natural voice. Her electronic voice mastery allowed all to appreciate her zest for life.Born in Calais, Maine, March 20, 1953, Donna was the daughter of Carroll Rodney and Ruth Webber McGary. She began school in Belfast, Maine graduating from Westbrook High School in 1971. She started playing trombone in elementary school, continued all though high school and also played with the Portland Junior Symphony.Donna was a member of the National Honor Society, walked in the Freedom March in Portland with her family, was an active Girl Scout, attended the Westbrook Methodist Church, Sunday School, youth groups, summer camps and earned her junior life saving certificate at age 12. She worked in the advertising department for the Kennebec Journal for 10 years.She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Gerontology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and was beginning a doctoral program at U Mass with an internship at an assisted living community when she first got sick.She was an extremely gifted writer. She wrote many columns and became editor of Web Whispers, an international newsletter for people who have lost their natural voices. She used this gift to inspire, writing the words she could no longer speak.Donna was an insatiable reader – books were her passion. She was a weekly volunteer at her granddaughters’ school library where she was affectionately dubbed “Robo Nanny,” and taught curious children about her electronic voice.Donna was predeceased by her father.She is survived by her mother Ruth McGary and her brother Thomas McGary; son Emeth McGary and his wife Cori, their daughters, Kayleigh and Kiera; grandson Tyler Smith and his wife Jasmine; her nephew Caleb McGary and his wife Stephanie, their daughters, Ava and Elianna; as well as numerous cousins. At her request, her ashes will be buried under a flowering tree on family property in Durham, Maine.Donna hoped to leave a legacy of funds to the library at the Durham Community School where her granddaughters are students. Her dream was to create and support projects for the children, one of which could be an outdoor reading space. Memories and messages of condolences may be left online at http://www.albert-burpee.com .If others would like to donate in Donna’s memory, checks may be made out to the Durham Community School. Attn. Eliza Damone, School Librarian654 Hallowell Rd.Durham, ME 04222.

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