Mary Anne MacDonald Tharp
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Mary Anne (MacDonald) Tharp was born in Rising Sun, MD, on November 13, 1934, to the late Rexford Glenn and Mary Asenath (Talbott) MacDonald. She died peacefully at Calvert Manor Health Care Center on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Anne grew up on the MacDonald dairy farm in Rising Sun where she learned a strong sense of responsibility at a young age. One of her proudest accomplishments was learning to drive a tractor. She was a member of the Cecil County 4-H program for over 10 years. Her annual 4-H project was raising lambs, and she won many ribbons for them.
Anne graduated from Rising Sun High School in 1952. She attended Milligan College in Tennessee for 2 years where she toured with the concert choir as a member of the Millettes; an exclusive girls' sextet that received wide acclaim. Anne proceeded to Texas Christian University where she earned her bachelor's degree in English and graduated magna cum laude in 1958. She was in the top 10 of over 700 students in her graduating class. On graduation night she was featured in the Fort Worth Press for her shoe collection (25 pairs!).
Anne was a charter member of the First Christian Church in Havre de Grace, MD, where she was Music Director for over 25 years. She served on the Board of Directors for Northern Chesapeake Hospice, and she also ran the Miss Northern Chesapeake Pageant in the Miss America system for seven years. After retiring as Executive Director, she served as Judges Chair for many pageants in Maryland and Virginia. She is known to all in the pageant world as "Miss Anne".
Professionally, Anne broke glass as one of the few female managers at Thiokol, in Elkton, MD. Her group was responsible for creating proposals to submit to NASA and major aerospace companies advancing the space program. Anne started as a technical writer in 1961 and when she retired 35 years later, she was the Manager of their Media Services Department.
After retirement, Anne spent much of her free time at one of her beach houses in Virginia and North Carolina, making memories with family and friends. Anne had a rare zest for life. She loved to spin a tale over a fine glass of wine. Anne was always an enthusiastic traveling companion and insisted that everyone have their healthy dose of "culture" while exploring a new city. She gave great advice and had the superpower of seeing the best in everyone and making everyone feel that they were her favorite.
Anne is survived by her daughters, Leann Stuart, of Rising Sun, MD and Taralyn Tharp Kohler of Reston, VA; grandchildren, Tanya Stuart (Lee), of Port Deposit, MD; David Stuart Jr. (Angela), of Rising Sun, MD, and Quinton and Kailyn Kohler of Reston, VA; great-grandchildren, Seth & Sydney Millard and Emily & Caroline Stuart; brothers, George (Ruth) and Richard (Gloria) MacDonald, both of Rising Sun, MD; sister-in-law, Dolores MacDonald, of Colora, MD. Anne is proceeded in death by her brothers, Robert and Ralph MacDonald.
Anne loved music, especially Broadway and Christian. She requested "I Hope You'll Dance" to be played at her funeral as that is how she would want those that she left behind to live their lives.
Family and friends may call at Mountain Christian Church, 1824 Mountain Rd, Joppa, MD, on Friday, October 7, 2022, from 11 am to 12 pm. A funeral service to follow immediately at 12 pm, with interment in the church cemetery. Angie Rodriquez is officiating. Please join us afterwards for a reception at Pairings Bistro, 2105 Laurel Bush Rd, #108, Bel Air, MD.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Anne's memory to the CORE Foundation, an organization where Anne served as a dedicated volunteer, in care of Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., P.O. Box 766, Perryville, MD 21903-0766.
Arrangements by Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., Perryville, MD
www.pattersonfuneralhomemd.com