Dr. Caryl Ann McDonald, 79 of DeKalb, formerly of Belvidere died Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at Oakcrest Retirement Center.

She was born November 12, 1941 in Chicago to Bernard and Mildred (Richards) Drolen. She married Ned McDonald of Black River Falls, WI on December 31, 1963.

Caryl was an avid learner and educator and dedicated her life to serving high school students. She attended Northern Illinois University to earn her bachelor's degree, University of Wisconsin-Stout to earn her master's degree, and then went on to pursue her doctorate in Education from NIU, graduating in 1987.

After living in Rock Falls, IL for 3 years, Ned and Caryl built a house in Belvidere, IL and lived there for 48 years. In that time, they had two children, Todd and Amy, and many beloved dogs. Caryl worked for most of her life in the Rockford public school district as a counselor, administrator, and principal. She was deeply dedicated to her students and her fellow educators and always made her important work a priority. She truly believed that everyone was capable of improving themselves through education.

After her retirement, Caryl enjoyed spending time with her family and enjoying her beautiful property in rural Belvidere. In 1998, after the birth of her first grandchild, Caryl and Ned decided to purchase a vacation condo in Door County, WI. Since then, they have enjoyed countless family vacations together. Caryl was a dedicated member of the Rockford Women's Club, the Panhellenic Council on behalf of Delta Kappa Gamma: Women Educators Society, as well as her many knitting groups, bowling teams, and golf outings with friends. After retiring from high school education, Caryl continued her lifelong passion of teaching through private ESL tutoring through Ida Public Library in Belvidere. Caryl and Ned were dedicated members of the United Methodist Church of Belvidere for the more than 45 years they lived in the area. Caryl was a fan of the Chicago Cubs and would never miss a game. Caryl and her sister are both memorialized by annual family reunions at Wrigley field.

Caryl is survived by her husband Ned McDonald (DeKalb), her twin sister Dorothy "Dotsy" Drake (Fort Bragg, CA), her sister Deborah Jones (Bloomington, MN), her son Todd McDonald (Sycamore), her daughter Amy Enderle (Westmont), and her grandchildren Trevor and Sam McDonald (Sycamore) and Grace Enderle (Westmont).

She was preceded in death by her sister Marilyn "Moo" Haefelin (Peoria), her daughter-in-law Jill McDonald (Sycamore), her parents Bernard "Whitey" and Mildred Drolen (Rockford), and her brother-in-law Dennis Drake (San Diego, CA).

An outdoor, graveside visitation and service will be held at Highland Garden of Memories located at 9800 IL-76, Belvidere, IL 61008 on April 10, 2021 starting at noon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Leiomyosarcoma Foundation in memory of Jill McDonald. Donations can be mailed to: 1685 So. Colorado Blvd, Unit S, Suite 447, Denver, CO 80222.

Arrangements were completed by the Butala Funeral Home and Crematory in Sycamore, IL.  To sign the online guest book, go to www.butalafuneralhomes.com