Grace Elliott

Grace Elliott, the last matriarch of the MacDonald/Elliott clan of her generation, died March 27 at Fellowship Square assisted living community in Mesa following a brief illness. She was 95.

Grace was a long-time resident of the Mesa, Cottonwood and Tucson areas in her later years and of St. Paul, Minn., and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan earlier in her life. Grace was fiercely independent and lived largely on her own to the very end.

Grace was known for her encyclopedic knowledge of MacDonald history, which included tales of her grandfather, John MacDonald, who was an early lighthouse keeper at several remote outposts on Lake Superior.

Grace spent summers with her grandparents at some of these lighthouses and often shared stories of life on the Great Lakes, recounting both its beauty and often devastating power.

She was equally known for her impeccable timing as a joke teller during family gatherings. Grace could deliver some zingers – including one about former President Bill Clinton’s peccadillos.

Grace MacDonald was born on April 10, 1927, in Ishpeming, Mich., to Grace and Joseph MacDonald. The family later moved to Marquette, Mich., where Grace attended the same high school as Richard “Dick” Elliott, who would later become her husband of 71 years.

Grace and Dick married on July 25, 1949, in Marquette and later moved to St. Paul where Dick took an engineering job at an early television station. They began their family in St. Paul and nearby Roseville beginning with Cynthia, Susan, Tom and Jean.

Grace loved being a homemaker and was devoted to her children and grandchildren, one of whom is named Grace in her honor. She was actively involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren and forged close bonds with all of them.

Grace possessed a keen intellect that was evident in her many activities. She was a passionate and lifelong bridge player, an accomplished seamstress who created everything from elaborate wedding dresses to casual sweatshirts and knitted to the very end of her life.

Grace’s scores of knitted hats and mittens were donated to schools and hospitals throughout Arizona, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest for several decades.

Grace and Dick traveled extensively through Europe, the Caribbean and the United States. They also enjoyed their summer home in northern Minnesota on Fish Trap Lake, where friends and family would regularly gather to go walleye fishing, swimming and ride in the annual Fourth of July boat parade.

The summer cabin at Fish Trap Lake was always full of friends, family and grandkids making lifetime memories.

Throughout all her travels and family gatherings, Grace was known to enjoy an occasional Manhattan – so much so that she sewed a custom traveling cocktail kit to ensure that all the essential ingredients were on hand wherever she might be.

Grace and Dick later moved permanently to Arizona where several of their extended family had lived for decades. Because Grace’s brother, Joe, married Dick’s sister, Trish, the MacDonald/Elliott clan is especially close. Extended gatherings of these double-linked families spanned five generations and were always fun and large. And still are.

Up until the last days of her life, Grace could recite key details of every family member – often adding a funny story or unusual anecdote.

Grace is survived by three children, Cynthia Elliott (Dave Edwards), Sue Moos (Grant), and Tom Elliott (Michele); several grandchildren, Christina Edwards (Mark), Megan Detweiler (Jim), Hannah Classon (Ben), Charlie Moos, Brandon Elliott (Angie), Nathan Elliott (Chad), Troy Pierson (Abbie) and Jason Pierson (Rian), and many, many great grandchildren, nieces and nephews in the MacDonald/Elliott diaspora. Her extended family includes members in Arizona, Florida, Ireland, Minnesota, New York, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Grace was preceded in death by her husband, Dick Elliott; daughter, Jean; her parents, Grace and Joseph MacDonald; brothers, Joseph, Owen and James MacDonald; and sister, Margaret Richer.

Services and burial for Grace will be Friday, April 21, at 12:30 p.m. at the Queen of Heaven Catholic Funeral Home (1562 E. Baseline Drive, Mesa, AZ, 85204) with a visitation one hour prior to the service.

Memorials are preferred to the Seven Haven II assisted living home (6456 E. Orion Mesa, AZ 85215) where Grace lived briefly while recovering from an injury earlier this year.