Mrs. Elizabeth "Betsy" Seiler McDonald

July 17, 1931 - April 5, 2022

Elizabeth “Betsy” Seiler McDonald, 90, of Lutherville, MD, passed away peacefully on April 5, 2022. Born in Louisville, KY, the daughter of Lewis Pintard Seiler and Elizabeth Engelhard Seiler, Betsy moved to Baltimore in 1944. She attended the Bryn Mawr School and Sarah Lawrence College. Betsy and her husband of 67 years, John Etchison McDonald, have three children, John E. McDonald, Jr., Elizabeth M. Peard, and David G. McDonald. They are also blessed with nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. For Betsy, family was everything, and one of her greatest legacies is the close connection and love shared across these generations. Betsy’s other great love was teaching. She was “Mrs. McD” to decades of Gilman School first graders. Her students were her “other children” and, with love and kindness, she instilled values for living a more purposeful life. Even in retirement, she made a difference as a volunteer in classrooms across the city. Betsy contributed her time and talents to many local organizations, including the Junior League of Baltimore, the Colonial Dames, and the Woodland Garden Club. She was recognized by many for her extraordinary commitment and service. The schools most important to Betsy, Gilman and Bryn Mawr, acknowledged her devotion with separate awards for distinguished service. Mainly Betsy is remembered for her tireless commitment to helping others and for making each day brighter. Whether working with children, visiting friends in need, or simply in chance encounters throughout each day, Betsy had a profound effect on those whose lives she touched. Her generosity, inclusiveness, kindness, and love made this world a better place. In addition to her husband, John, and children and their spouses, Sandy and Vanna McDonald, Libby and Trevor Peard, and David and Nicki McDonald, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, Betsy is survived by brothers John C. Seiler and Lewis P. Seiler, Jr. of Louisville, KY. Also left behind is Roy, a beloved Labrador Retriever. A celebration of Betsy’s life will be held at the Church of the Redeemer on Friday, April 29 at 11:00 am.