Madelon F. McHale

Madelon F. McHale died on Sunday morning May 29th 2016. She was born on December 28, 1924. Her parents Frank and Ethel Fabing predeceased her. She was also predeceased by her first husband, Richard F. (Dick) McHale, her sister Jane Sellers and brothers Francis and Harold Fabing, and by her second husband, Walter Russ. She is survived by her five sons: Michael McHale of Buford Ga, Patrick McHale (Kathy) of Huntersville NC, Robert McHale of Statesville NC, Paul McHale (Candace) of Matthews NC ,and Peter McHale of the home. Two sisters also survive: Isabel Drain of Silver Spring, Md. and Joyce Andersen of Sonoma, Ca. Other survivors include her 4 granddaughters: Patrice Gibson (Aaron) of Durham, NC, Allison Sisk (Aaron) of Goose Creek, SC, Maureen McHale of Pelham Manor, NY, and Caitlyn McHale of Matthews, NC, and two great grandsons, Liam Gibson, and Wyatt Gibson of Durham NC. She is also survived by her step children: Kevin (Tammy) Russ and Kate (Marcel) Deschaies of Stanford, NC, and Timothy Russ, of Aurora, Co. Surviving step grandchildren are Kelly Russ, David Deschaies, Mariel Deschaies and Collin and Lauren Russ. Madelon was employed as a secretary with McGill Corporation in Valparaiso, Indiana before accepting a position with the Department of State in Washington, D. C. in 1946, later moving to a positon with the National Security Agency in Arlington, Va. That same year she met her husband Dick McHale. After his death in 1977, she re-entered the workplace and was hired by the National Gypsum Company, retiring in 1990 as secretary to the Director of Marketing. She was actively involved in parish churches in Falls Church, Va., Arlington, Va. and Tampa, Florida before moving to Charlotte in 1963. She was a willing and tireless volunteer at St Ann's School, and Charlotte Catholic High School where she particularly enjoyed working with the late Millicent Neill, the school Librarian. Madelon was a charter member of the St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, where she was the President of the Women's Guild in 1972 and a member of the Altar Guild and the ACES. She will be remembered as a caring and thoughtful person who loved her church, her family and her friends. Madelon loved to travel and visited Alaska, Canada, France, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, South America, Panama Canal, California, Florida, Indiana, Lake George, NY, Connecticut, Cape Cod, Mass., Nova Scotia, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. A prayer Rosary will be held at St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte NC on Friday June 3rd at 1:15 p.m. with the Funeral mass to follow at St Vincent's at 1:45. A reception with the family will follow in the fellowship hall at St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The burial will be private. Madelon's family requests contributions in her memory are made to St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, The American Cancer Society 6000 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210; or to the American Heart Association, 222 S. Church Street, Charlotte NC 28202. The family would like to thank the following people and organizations for their care of our mother Madelon: Dr. Alan Wong and the staff of McKee Internal Medicine, Dr. Kris Gaston and staff of the Levine Cancer Center, Hospice and Palliative Care, Charlotte region. Carol McLaughlin, Chris Williams, Vann Massey, and Gail Morris. The family is also indebted to Drs. Peter Turk and Dr. Stuart Wernikoff, both of whom contributed to her longevity.