Mary Louise "Mitzi" O'Donnell

Mary Louise “Mitzi” O’Donnell, 78, of South Whitehall Township, passed away peacefully on August 19th, 2024, in Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, surrounded by her husband and three children. She was the loving wife and high school sweetheart of Dr. Hugh J. O’Donnell, Jr. DDS. They recently celebrated 55 years of marriage on July 5th. Mitzi was a 1964 graduate of Central Catholic High School and a 1968 graduate of Kutztown State College, where she received a BS in Elementary Education for the Visually Impaired. From 1968 through early 1972, Mitzi taught second grade at the Roslyn school in the Abington (PA) School District. Known for her dedication to education, Mitzi, as a member of the National Braille Association and the Lehigh Valley Braille Guild, spent countless hours transcribing textbooks and other literature into braille for students. While being a full-time devoted mother to three active children, Mitzi also managed the bookkeeping for her husband’s dental practice. Mitzi loved to travel throughout her life. She and her husband, accompanied on many occasions by family and friends, enjoyed visits to wonderful destinations across North America and Europe, including her favorite place on earth, Bermuda. One of Mitzi’s greatest joys was being a doting grandmother for the last fifteen years. In early 2023, Mitzi received a gift of life, a single lung transplant for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Mitzi is survived by her husband, Hugh “Tim”; son Patrick and his wife Kristin of Vail, CO; son Timothy and his wife Megan of Glen Mills, PA; daughter Megan Boord of Edwards, CO; grandchildren Morgan O’Donnell, Ryder and Brooks Boord; along with 16 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by brothers Paul and John Haring; sister-in-law Maryann Haring; and brothers-in-law Dr. Joseph Prorok and Dr. Brendan O’Brien. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, August 30, 2024, at 10 A.M. in the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 18th and Turner Streets, Allentown. A calling hour will be held prior to mass in the church from 8:45 to 9:45 A.M. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in her memory to the Wescoe Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis (wescoe.org), or the Gift of Life Howie’s House (giftoflifehowieshouse.org).

Mary Louise "Mitzi" O'Donnell

August 19, 2024