Doris Mae Mcconnell

Doris Mae McConnell, age 82, of Bellingham, WA, passed away Tuesday, July 20, 2021. She was born in Portland, OR, the youngest of eight children born to Lilly (Rehwalt) and Ernst Scholz. She grew up on the family farm in Cornelius, Oregon, and graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1956. After high school Doris worked as a telephone operator, and at Tektronix. On June 16, 1961 she married Dennis (Mac) McConnell at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Cornelius, OR. The couple moved to Augusta, Georgia for the first three years of their marriage while Mac served in the US Army. During that time, their two daughters were born.
In 1964, the family moved to Bellingham, Washington to open Mac’s optometry business. Doris helped out in the office and was an active volunteer in her daughters' schools and a campfire leader. She loved to learn and participated in a variety of activities, taking lessons in guitar, piano, ukulele, golf and ice skating over the years. When her children were older, she took classes in bookkeeping at Whatcom Community College. She worked as a bookkeeper at EMCO/Northwest Helicopters and then at Trico Office Interiors until she retired in 2011 at the age of 72.
Doris was an active member of Faith Lutheran Church where she enjoyed socializing and volunteering, singing in the choir and attending Bible studies. She was a member of a book club and an avid reader with a special interest in Northwest and women’s history. She also enjoyed music, golfing and going for walks around town.
Doris was preceded in death by her parents, husband Mac McConnell, brothers Jim Scholz and Bob Scholz and sisters Donna Stark and Ruth Bertsch. She is survived by her daughters Kelly McConnell and Kathy McConnell, sisters Thelma Sanks and Ann Middleton, brother John Scholz and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to Faith Lutheran Church 2750 McLeod Rd, Bellingham 98225 and Whatcom Humane Society 2172 Division St., Bellingham 98226.
Services will be held on July 31 at 2:00 at Faith Lutheran Church. The service will also be streamed at www.faithbellingham.org . You may share your memories of Doris at www.westfordfuneralhome.com .