MacNeil, Mary Louise. Mary Louise Watkins MacNeil died peacefully on Monday, May 24, 2021. Mary Louise was born June 1, 1930 in Atlanta, GA. She attended North Fulton High School and obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from Oglethorpe University. She worked as a research chemist at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for 30 years.
In addition to her passion for research chemistry, Mary Louise had many interests. She was a longtime member of The Cathedral of St. Phillip at which she served as a Daughter of the King, a docent at the High Museum of Art for over twenty years, a tour hostess at the Governor’s Mansion, a volunteer at the Atlanta History Center, and she happily delivered Meals on Wheels on holidays. Mary Louise was interested in all things Scottish. A MacNeil by marriage, she was a Cameron through her paternal grandmother, Belle Cameron Watkins. She participated in Scottish country dancing for many years and attended the Highland Games at Stone Mountain regularly. When she had the opportunity to travel to Scotland, she included a visit to the Isle of Barra, home of the Clan MacNeil, and had tea with the Clan MacNeil Chief’s wife in Kisimul Castle. Mary Louise loved exercise and the outdoors. She was a member of the Appalachian Trail Club, the “Terrific Tuesday Hikers,” the Georgia Ornithological Society, and faithfully attended aerobics classes at the Family Life Center at Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church. She loved swimming in the ocean like no other. Her grandchildren will be forever grateful to her for instilling in them the love of travel, adventure, hiking, and the outdoors.
Mary Louise was preceded in death by her parents Edgar Watkins, Jr., Louise Watkins Noble, her sister Elizabeth Watkins Kessler, and her daughter-in-law Andrea Hur MacNeil. She leaves behind four children: Dora MacNeil Rice (David), Elizabeth MacNeil Hesmer (John), Donald Coe MacNeil, Duncan Edgar MacNeil (Julie); seven grandchildren: Elizabeth Rice Hurt (Wesley), Madeleine Rice, Molly MacNeil Reynolds (Jordan), Bonnie MacNeil Baum (Alex), Katie MacNeil, Jordan MacNeil, and Grant MacNeil; and one great-grandchild: Cameron Keay Hurt.
A funeral service will be held on July 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at The Cathedral of St. Phillip. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Oglethorpe University or Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at
www.mayeswarddobbins.com.
