Therese Marie McDonald

1949 - 2025

Therese Marie McDonald

February 19, 1949 - November 23, 2025

Therese Marie McDonald of Rock Island, a beloved mother, sister, and dedicated community member, passed away on Sunday morning, November 23, 2025, at the age of 76 at St. Anthony's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born in Rock Island on February 19, 1949, to Boyd and June (Nicholson) Buranek.

Therese attended Alleman Catholic High School and married James McDonald on November 30, 1968. As a Navy wife, she anchored her family through moves to California, Idaho, and Hawaii, where she welcomed her children, Shane and Erika. Following their time in the Navy, the family settled in Marseilles, Ill., where Therese was a stay-at-home mother, teaching Catechism and nurturing her love for writing and poetry. Throughout her life, Therese was artistically driven, enjoyed connecting with nature, and possessed a deeply resilient spirit, persevering through the loss of her infant son Lance, a difficult struggle with bipolar disorder, and the physical challenges of a debilitating stroke in 2018. She returned to Rock Island later in life, working as a caregiver and dedicating herself to caring for her mother, June, until June's death in 2010.

Therese is preceded in death by her son, Lance McDonald; her brother, Mark Buranek; and her parents, Boyd and June Buranek Suess. She is survived by her loving children, Shane McDonald and Erika McDonald; her siblings, Constance Buranek Moser, Dennis Buranek, and Shelley Buranek Flaherty; and her two grandchildren, Amy Chandonia and Helen Chandonia.