Edna J. McDonald, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died on April 1 at the Palace Royale assisted living center in Miami, where she had resided since 2010. She was 96. Her husband of 63 years, James C. McDonald, died in 2006. Born on Oct. 22, 1918, in Bridgeport, Conn., she was the daughter of Edward and Helen Hedin and a graduate of Harding High School and the Booth & Bayliss business school, both in Bridgeport. Mrs. McDonald was a secretary at the Raybestos-Manhattan Company in Stratford, Conn., where she met her husband. After turning to homemaking, she and Jim raised five boys, first in Bridgeport and Devon and later in Stratford, on High View Drive and Far Mill Drive, as he climbed the company ladder at Raybestos and traveled around the country, often accompanied by Edna. At the same time, she ran a tight household, tirelessly and meticulously overseeing the finances as well as the kitchen, shepherding her sons through the schools while keeping the interior decor up to date. She particularly loved to cook and bake for her family and host extended-family summer backyard gatherings. But she also enjoyed dining out with friends and dancing, reading and listening to music. She and her husband were among the founding parishioners of St. Mark Roman Catholic Church in Stratford and long active there. For many years she was a volunteer at Bridgeport Hospital gift shop. She and her husband later spent 12 retirement years in West Palm Beach, Fla. She is survived by her son James and wife, Susan, of Pinecrest, Fla.; her son William and wife, Irene, of New York City; her son David and wife, Maria, of Palmetto Bay, Fla.; five granddaughters (Jennifer, Kristin, Vanessa, Jaime, Faren); five grandsons (Jesse, James, Michael, Ryan, Jeffrey) and five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by two sons, Robert and Thomas, and a grandson, Jason, as well as her sister, Ursula; her brother, Edward; and two daughters-in-law, Lynn (Friedman) and Jeanmarie (Conlon). Funeral services will take place on Saturday, April 11th at 9:15 a.m. in the Adzima Funeral Home 50 Paradise Green Place Stratford and at 10 am in St. Mark Church, 500 Wigwam Lane, Stratford, for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be in St. Michael's Cemetery, Stratford. Friends may call on Friday from 5-8 p.m.