Michelle was a nurse, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She lost her battle with asthma and COPD on January 23, 2020.
Encouraged to enter the Miss Pennsylvania USA competition by her mother, McDonald won the Miss Pennsylvania USA title in early May of 1971. Just a few weeks later, she represented her state in the Miss USA Pageant that was held in Miami Beach, Florida. McDonald won the nationally televised competition, becoming the first woman from Pennsylvania to win the prestigious title. She was just 18 years of age at the time! The day after winning, she and her parents visited President Richard Nixon, and his wife Pat, at their summer home in Key Biscayne, FL.
She missed her senior prom while competing in Miss USA, but returned to Butler the weekend after winning the title to participate in her high school graduation, arriving from the airport in a motorcade and being greeted by thousands of people and dignitaries from her home town.
Prior to competing at Miss USA, McDonald had never traveled out of Pennsylvania or flown in an airplane.
In June 2018, Michele underwent a life-saving double lung transplant at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. She had dealt with asthma for years, but she had also developed COPD with associated pulmonary hypertension.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Michelle, her family and friends.