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Elizabeth Mary Donnelly McCarvill

Elizabeth Mary (Donnelly) McCarvill, 96, of Scottsdale, AZ passed away on October 29, 2020 at home surrounded by family and dear friends.

Born 1924 in Worcester, MA, she grew up in the small town of Millbury, MA where she graduated at age 16 from high school in 1941. She earned her nursing degree at St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing in 1945 practicing in Boston and New York. She worked at Lennox Hill in Manhattan where she specialized in operating room care.

In 1951 she joined the Navy and was deployed to Korea on the hospital ship USS Repose. (AH-16). She tended to wounded service members and attained the rank of Lieutenant. She returned stateside in 1954 and continued to serve in Chelsea, Portsmouth, and Beaufort Naval Hospitals until her Honorable Discharge in December 1957.

She met and married her husband, U.S. Marine Lt Wallace McCarvill in 1957 and started her family in 1959. She continued her nursing career in Royal Oak, MI at William Beaumont Hospital as Head Nurse of the OB/GYN department while raising her two daughters. She retired to Mt. Pleasant, SC enjoying coastal living and activities at her parish Stella Maris Church on Sullivan’s Island. She later moved to Park City, UT and Ennis, MT enjoying mountain living and serving at St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s parishes. She spent a short time back in Michigan before moving to Scottsdale, AZ in 2018.

She spent her 95th birthday in Las Vegas seeing Diana Ross at the Wynn. In April, 2019 she was treated by Honor Flight Arizona to an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to see the nation’s war memorials. She was the only female veteran traveling with 27 World War II and Korean War veterans! In November, 2019, she was featured in the nation’s biggest Veteran’s Day Parade in Phoenix as a guest of the Knights of Columbus.

She is survived by her children, Mary Margaret McCarvill of Fennville, MI and Elizabeth Ann Burns of Scottsdale, AZ, grandchildren David Alden Kizer (Alli) of Park City, UT, Kathryn Alden Kizer of Washington, D.C, and Monica Elizabeth Burns of Miami, FL, great granddaughter Audrey Alden Kizer of Park City, UT; siblings Tom Donnelly of Pasadena, CA, Taylor Donnelly of Millbury, MA; and numerous beloved nephews and nieces.

A memorial Mass is planned for a future date. She will be laid to rest on Nurse’s Hill in Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to Honor Flight Arizona, at honorflightaz.org.