Grace D. MacKinnon

Grace D. MacKinnon (née McClain) was born on March 4, 1950 in Brownsville, Texas, and she passed away peacefully at home in her daughter’s arms on November 17, 2017. She is preceded in death by her mother, Consuelo McClain, and father, Hector McClain.
She is survived by her daughter, Crystal MacKinnon; sisters, Rosalie Gutierrez (Marcelo), Velma Martinez, Jane Garcia (Agustin), Susan Snodgrass (Lamar), Diana Lopez (Esteban), Perla Arroyo (Eric), and Sandra Hartman; nieces and nephews; and many friends.
Although to many, the most noticeable thing about Grace was her disability, those who knew her well knew that she was so much more. Grace had two great loves in her life: The Lord and her daughter, and served them both with all her heart throughout her entire life. As a little disabled girl growing up in Brownsville during a time when the disabled were afforded very few opportunities, Grace, with the help of her mother, fought relentlessly for equal opportunity in education and then went on to finish high school; and, against all odds, attended the University of Texas in Austin where, remarkably, she went out on her own into the world for the first time. After graduating, she moved to Houston where she married and had her daughter Crystal. She then went on to return to school where she obtained her Master’s degree of Theology and set about dedicating her life to God. After returning to Brownsville, she did so through her work with the Catholic dioceses, her writings, appearances on EWTN, and classes. She tirelessly spread the word of God and interpreted his teachings for people locally, nationally, and worldwide.
Grace was also an accomplished world traveler, having seen many parts of the United States as well as the rest of the world. She visited many important religious sites around the world such as Medjugorje, Lourdes, and The Vatican in Rome where she was blessed by Pope John Paul II. Grace was an all-around incredible woman bestowed with immeasurable tenacity and dedication to her faith who touched many people’s lives. And beyond that, she was a fantastic and unparalleled mother to her beloved daughter, who, as she often said, was “God’s greatest gift to her,†her angel.
The family wishes to especially thank Grace’s providers, Aurelia Castillo, Veronica Flores, and Maria Rodriguez for their attentive, loving, and tender care. The family also wishes to thank Brenda Sauceda-Mendoza and Maria Almendarez for their very compassionate nursing care.
There will be a memorial service and celebration of Grace’s life held on Friday, November 24, 2017 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. with the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 7:00 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home and Crematory. The funeral mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 25, 2017 at Immaculate Conception Church in Brownsville.